Electric hoof knife

[whitney]

Has anyone used one of these?

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

I work nearly full time trimming cattle feet, the other half of my job is managing the farm and doing vet work. I do not know how a pro trimmer functions without one! I use an angle grinder with extremely aggressive blades on my ladies, and crank through about 12 an hour.

That being said, nothing can screw up a hoof faster than an electric tool in the hands of a novice. As the guy that I did my cattle trim school with said 'you can mess up Angles an get away with it. You go too short you have ruined the animal.' I WOULD NOT recommend someone with no professional intensive formal training use power tools on their horse. Horses are not restrained very well either, and I would not want to put an electric knife between my legs!!!!! One little jerk and your leg or hand is toadt! In a stock would be the only way I would ever use electric tools on horses. Cattle I put in a tilt table and chain down their legs.

The blades need to be stupidly sharp, otherwise the foot heats up which is very very bad. Interested to see if anyone uses one here!

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

No no no no no. We here in ireland have a fear of anything electronic. Stick to the hand tools.

 

[disneyhorse]

I've seen them used in shoeing stocks. Otherwise, I think it's one of those "it's okay until it's not" situations.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

I've seen them used in shoeing stocks. Otherwise, I think it's one of those "it's okay until it's not" situations.

It's OK everytime in the right hands in the right restraint. Think of it like a drill mounted float. With a GOOD dentist that knows what they are doing and a sedated, properly restrained horse, the risk of injury is REALLY low. Put that same float in the hands of an idiot or someone inexperienced or with a horse jumping around, it is dangerous everytime.

I don't know how farriers do it using just hand tools. With electric tools I get the animal in and out faster, causing less stress to her. I cause less stress to ME too! I can trim 30 cows in 2 hours and not feel an ounce tired. Bent over snipping a 1/4" at a time on a horse? Pfffttttt I do 2 and I'm tired! Maybe its just muscle memory, but it still seems so 1800's to be bent over with a foot between my legs using hand tools to me. We've been trimming horse feet for how many hundreds of years? Why o why has no one invented a better, easier, more farrier friendly way to do it? I do not see a single horse not FREAKING out about a tilt table or even stand up chute like we trim cattle in, but someone smarter then me should've solved this by now I think!

 

[Squeaks]

First time I've ever seen one... I'll stick to my rasp and nippers, I sure would be afraid of taking too much :/

However, like the post above, in experienced hands it probably is an absolute DREAM for them

 

[whitney]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I've been doing my own horses since I was 16 I'm 51 now. Old age and 13 horses have brought me to this point. I've ordered them. I'm going above and beyond in the caution department. All my guys are very good about trimming. But until I get skilled I'm going to put shipping boots on them, and like the website states glasses and gloves and tail bag. I'll let you know how they work out. Thanks again!

 

[Tab]

I would like to eventually get a merlin, but I would probably wear gloves with gauntlets and eye protection. I'd think you would have to do a little prep-work without the blade first, just like with clippers, to get the horse accustomed to the noise and feel. There have been threads about this tool in the past and I'd never heard about anyone getting injured. Surely the people who trim their own have horses that will stand very quietly. A farrier has the right of refusal if the horse is unruly. Mine have hooves handled at birth and from there on out. I can't afford not to, I am the only farrier here. Someday I will get one, I'm still fairly young, but the more you abuse your body at an earlier age the earlier the consequences.

 

[whitney]

Well they're here. Practiced with them on wood tonight. These things rock! Lite weight, slightly quieter than clippers and easy to use it takes off a little less than a new rasp. If your interested in these they have a money back guarantee. I already know I'm keeping mine. Can't believe I waited this long.