A client in Montana told me my shoe fit was 'lazy' and it stung, but he was right.

He said I was just fitting the shoe to the foot, not the foot to the shoe, and it was causing his horse to forge. I was leaving too much heel, about a quarter inch, to avoid touching the sensitive parts. I started trimming the heels back more and fitting the shoe tighter, even if it took me an extra ten minutes per foot. After two months, the forging stopped completely. Anyone else get called out on a bad habit that actually improved your work?

2 comments

2 Comments

emmam9818d ago

Man, isn't it wild how a little criticism can totally flip your view? I used to be so sure a wider fit was always more comfortable for the horse, no question. But I had a similar thing happen where a trainer pointed out I was letting the toes get too long, thinking it gave a better breakover. Seeing the horse move better after I fixed it was a real eye-opener. It's hard to hear at first, but man, it makes you a better trimmer.

claire_hayes3517d ago

Totally get that... sometimes you just need someone to point out the obvious thing you're missing. A shorter toe with a proper roll really does make a difference in the stride.