Just figured out my old way of setting a shoe was making my back ache for no reason

For years, I'd always set the shoe on the anvil horn and then bend it over, holding the hoof in my left hand and hammering with my right. My lower back would be killing me by the end of the day. About two months ago, I watched an older farrier at a clinic in Lexington just set the shoe on the anvil face and tap it flat before moving to the horn for the final shape. I tried it the next week and it cut my bending time in half. Now I only go to the horn for the last tweaks, and my back feels so much better after a long day. Has anyone else found a small change in their anvil work that made a big difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.mason15d ago

Makes you wonder how many other basic moves we learn wrong from the start. I spent ages holding tongs a certain way that wrecked my wrist, just because that's how the guy who taught me did it. Sometimes the simplest fix is just watching someone else who figured out a less painful method. Your back probably thanks that guy in Lexington every single day.

jessica_robinson2315d agoTop Commenter

Seriously, @bennett.mason, that's so true. I learned to crack eggs on the flat countertop from a cooking show and it was a total game changer. My grandma nearly had a fit when she saw me doing it her "wrong" way.

verawhite12d ago

Oh man, I read something about how most people hold a computer mouse way too tight. It causes all kinds of strain. Totally changed my grip after that.