Horseshoes: Getting Started

[mgjenn23]

As a "newbie" nail bender, I'm already getting the urge try other bends so I decided to give horseshoes a try. My question is, what is the best shoe to start with so that I can hone my technique? There is a farm supply store not too far away and they have a wide variety of SCF shoes. I know zilch about horses and admit I'm overwhelmed by all the shoe terminology; lite, xtra, plain, eventer, hind, and then there are the numerical grades.

Could someone please enlighten this confused soul and recommend a SCF progression for me to strive for?

Thanks in advance.--Mike

[nickr104]

If you have SCF shoes start with a 1 or 2 ultra lite Then here is the rest of the progression as I see it. 1 or 2 polo, lite rim 2 or 3 , lite Regular 2 or 3 , Regular rim 2 or 3 , Regular 2 or 3, then the Big X-tras 4 or 5. I have never done any of the others. Maybe Zach or someone might know about the Eventers and Hind SCF shoes.

Edited March 30, 2009 by nickr104

[MalachiMcMullen]

How to bend horeshoes thread:

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?showtopic=26603&hl=

General progression picture:

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?autocom...si&img=7025

The shoe progression picture is missing a few shoes, but it's a good basic template for beginners I think. The easiest shoes are the SCF Ultralites, then the SCF Polos, then the Diamond Classic(DC#) shoes, then the Diamond Classic Hind (# Hind), then SCF Rimmed Lites(LITE #), then the Diamond Broncos(PL#), then the SCF Plain Lites, then the SCF Rimmed Regulars, then the SCF Plain Regulars, then the Diamond Special #5's(you wont find these for very much longer), then the Kerckhaert SSP's, then you get into the true draft shoes that are a true 3/8" thick and beyond. I don't have any experience with the SCF Hinds, but if the shape is similar to the Diamond Hinds, then the SCF Hinds will be harder than the SCF Fronts of the same size.

"Rimmed" means the shoe has a deep valley all the way around the bottom of the shoe.

"Plain" means no rim. Basically the shoe is flat with a slight depression surrounding the nail holes.

All the prefixes, don't really worry about them until you are looking for the next shoe in the lineup. However, at least in relation to SCF shoes, "Ultralite", "Lite" and "Regular" I believe are the weights of the shoes with the heaviest being the Regulars. So there is more steel in a Regular shoe, so they are harder than Lites and so on.

Edited March 30, 2009 by MalachiMcMullen

[matthcarl]

I have bent SCF Eventer shoes that were aluminum...they were not very tough, and I expect they'd snap if you tried to take them past parallel. Do they come in steel as well?

[pawel r]

My vision of progression :

St.Croix Forge Ultralite

St Croix Forge Polo

Diamond Classic

Diamond #1 Hinds

then you get into the true shoes 3/8" thick

Edited March 31, 2009 by pawel r

[pawel r]

St.Croix Forge Ultralite # 2

St Croix Forge Polo # 1

Diamond Classic # 2

St Croix Lite # 2

Diamond # 1 Hinds

St Croix Regular # 2

Edited March 31, 2009 by pawel r

[pawel r]

I not have large choice in shop (in my city). Thanks God are already 8 mm horseshoes in Poland, earlier were only 9.5 mm

Fortunately is yet internet

One of the things I've been doing to help me progress in twisting a horseshoe is to take horseshoe I am already good at bending and making them more difficult by cutting them shorter (for example cut 1/2" off each side). The decrease in length and leverage makes the shoes harder to bend and builds more strength in hands.

Edited April 14, 2009 by pawel r

[pawel r]

other method: Earlier when I had only large (9.5 mm thick) horseshoes I used small pipes.

When I builds more strengths and twist was easy, then I shortened these pipes.

And so further we shorten pipes with growth of strength

Edited April 14, 2009 by pawel r