A farrier will carry a tool kit that has everything they want for the trade which is taking care of the hooves of a horse. These tools will help that do the job easily and efficiently and it will help the horse stay healthy as well.
Traditionally, the tools used by the farriers were made by themselves but with the popularity of the craft, there are many tools that were created to their benefit and there is much advancement that you see done to the olden day tools. One of the main things that a farrier does is fit horseshoes depending on the type of work the horse does and their size. There are many tools that they use. A hoof tester is used to examine the hooves of the horse so that the farrier can understand if there is pain generated when they put pressure on certain areas. Sometimes, there are abscesses that can form on the hoof so this is a tool used by the veterinarian as well. But this has to be done by someone who has a lot of experience to ensure they come up with a correct diagnosis. There is a knife that is specially used by the farrier also called a farrier’s knife. This is used to remove additional sole and frog in the feet. You can find left handed and right handed versions for this type of knife which makes it easier for the farrier to handle it. These are very sharp so the farrier should have the right experience and expertise to handle it.
There is a multipurpose tool that farriers use called a farrier’s rasp. This helps them keep the hooves of the horse even and level when they are unshod. And if the horse is shod, and there is a small part of the hoof that overhands the shoe, it can be gently rasped as well. The extra hoof area can be trimmed and the edged of the hoof can be neatly rounded. The owner can also use rider’s rasps to round off any sharp edges that they notice while on the trail with the horse. Another tool that can cut the hoof wall down to the appropriate size is hoof nippers. This can be used when there is a damaged sole as well. The overgrown hoof can be easily removed and the edge of the hoof can be neatly bevelled with this tool. The frog of the hoof can be trimmed as well.
A larger size tool that resembled the hoof nipper is called the horseshoe puller and it can be used to pull off the shoes of the horse. But the nails have to be unclinched before this tool can be used to reduce the damage that can be done to the hoof. This is a very time-consuming process and you need to make sure that the nails are loosened and the pulling is done in a way that doesn’t cause any discomfort to the horse. The sole is a very sensitive area and it should be handled delicately. A nailing hammer will be used to apply the nails through the hoof of the horse so that the shoe can be held in place. It is quite a small hammer and this needs considerable skill as the farrier has to make sure the nail comes up at the right level. An anvil is used by the farriers to make sure that the horseshoe is moulded to the proper shape and style. Each horse will have unique hooves so the horseshoes need to be custom fitted. The anvil is used to flatten the shoe.