Has anyone got any good methods to get a nail out of a horse shoe?
My pony was retired the other day so we have kept his last horse shoes. I’m going to clean one of them up and make it look really pretty, but I can’t seem to get this one nail out. Have any of you got some good methods?
Thanks in Advance
lol, don’t worry, he’s not walking round with one shoe on. The farrier took all of his shoes off, but didn’t take all of the nails out as he didn’t have time.
I understand your desire to keep one of your horse’s shoes, but I really hope that your pony isn’t walking around with a shoe held on by one nail. If that is the case, you need to call your farrier immediately. Even though what you were doing was done out of love, this could end up really really really bad.
Think about it, only one nail allows for a pivot point, so the shoe can twist out of place while the horse is moving and then what if the horse steps on it. The pony’s first response is going to be, "why can’t I move my foot?" and like all horses/ponies, the little guy is going to panic and start running around. On a best case scenario, the shoe ends up bent but is off the horse somewhere in the pasture. On a wost case scenario, the horse ends up doing some damage to the hoof wall when we rips the nail out of his foot. Or if he steps on the nail, the horse is going to get an abscess in his foot, and those aren’t fun either. Your horse can go lame from either of these worst case scenarios.
If you’re farrier can’t get out, you should go to your pony with a hoof pick and ducktape. Clean the foot out completely, then wrap the hoof (not the leg, and don’t include the cornary band) with the tape in order to keep the shoe stabilized on the pony’s foot. If you don’t know what you’re doing, the best thing to do is to wait for someone who does. Nothing is going to happen to that shoe whether you get to decorate it tonight or a month from tonight.
I know that this is probably not what you want to hear, but for the horse’s safety, I feel that this is the best response. Please do this for your pony’s wellbeing, if you love him half as much as I think you do, then you’ll do what is best for him/her. Take care, and if I have misunderstood your situation, I apologize for being unhelpful. But a horse or pony’s foot is probably the most important part that requires a lot of care, especially when you consider that so much weight is distributed on such a small structure, and the front feet carry a lot more weight then the rear feet (65% on the front feet and only 35% on the rear feet).
September 25th, 2009 at 5:37 am
I keep my horses horse shoes just because i think they look cool. Anyway, I waited for the farrier to come the next time and i just had him take it out so i didnt ruin the shoe.
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September 25th, 2009 at 5:56 am
you can get farrier tools at the tack store.. it is a good thing to have and you can us the puller thing and get it out easily
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September 25th, 2009 at 6:43 am
Get a pair of wire/bolt cutters (you can probably borrow some from someone) and just snip it off at both ends, it’ll slide out. If you can’t find any, just ask your farrier next time he comes if he’ll take the nails out for you.
ADD: To Kai - I think the asker means she wants to keep a shoe that has been taken off!!!!
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September 25th, 2009 at 6:55 am
I understand your desire to keep one of your horse’s shoes, but I really hope that your pony isn’t walking around with a shoe held on by one nail. If that is the case, you need to call your farrier immediately. Even though what you were doing was done out of love, this could end up really really really bad.
Think about it, only one nail allows for a pivot point, so the shoe can twist out of place while the horse is moving and then what if the horse steps on it. The pony’s first response is going to be, "why can’t I move my foot?" and like all horses/ponies, the little guy is going to panic and start running around. On a best case scenario, the shoe ends up bent but is off the horse somewhere in the pasture. On a wost case scenario, the horse ends up doing some damage to the hoof wall when we rips the nail out of his foot. Or if he steps on the nail, the horse is going to get an abscess in his foot, and those aren’t fun either. Your horse can go lame from either of these worst case scenarios.
If you’re farrier can’t get out, you should go to your pony with a hoof pick and ducktape. Clean the foot out completely, then wrap the hoof (not the leg, and don’t include the cornary band) with the tape in order to keep the shoe stabilized on the pony’s foot. If you don’t know what you’re doing, the best thing to do is to wait for someone who does. Nothing is going to happen to that shoe whether you get to decorate it tonight or a month from tonight.
I know that this is probably not what you want to hear, but for the horse’s safety, I feel that this is the best response. Please do this for your pony’s wellbeing, if you love him half as much as I think you do, then you’ll do what is best for him/her. Take care, and if I have misunderstood your situation, I apologize for being unhelpful. But a horse or pony’s foot is probably the most important part that requires a lot of care, especially when you consider that so much weight is distributed on such a small structure, and the front feet carry a lot more weight then the rear feet (65% on the front feet and only 35% on the rear feet).
References :
September 25th, 2009 at 7:21 am
You can use a crease nail puller. It makes the job very easy.
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September 25th, 2009 at 8:10 am
I think perhaps Kai misunderstood, am I correct that you’ve either pulled the shoes yourself, or had the farrier pull them, and there’s just a nail left in after the farrier left? If that’s the case, side cuts can take the bent part off and then just tap with a hammer to drive the rest of the nail back out. Or, as another poster suggested, just wait until the next time the farrier comes, and ask them to take it out for you. Bear in mind though, you need to be careful how you store it, as it will rust, and with the nail rusted to the shoe, it’s harder to remove. If she didn’t misunderstand, she’s right, letting a horse run around with a shoe being held on by one nail is not a good idea. Although, you probably wouldn’t have to worry about it long, typically about one evening of wandering around in the pasture will cause it to be wrenched the rest of the way off.
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September 25th, 2009 at 8:41 am
The easiest way to get the nail out is to cut off the end that would normally go into the hoof, leaving enough that you can tap it with a hammer. Then place the shoe over a board with the nail head hanging off of the board and simply tap it with a hammer. If the nail doesn’t fall out you can use a pair of neddle nose pliers to pry it up a bit and pull it out.
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I am a farrier