Forging a Heartbar Horseshoe

Fast paced demonstration on how to forge a handmade heartbar horseshoe with a rocker toe and punched for a laminitic horse.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• heartbar
• forging
• horse
• horseshoe
• blacksmith
• farrier
• weld
• anvil
• flux
• hammer

[Magnificenceof3]

Great video, but that's a set toe not a rocker toe!

[densonfarrier]

@Magnificenceof3 I haven't heard the term, "set toe" in a very long time. Normally, when I've heard it, it was coming from a farrier from Europe. According to "Principle's of Horseshoeing II," by Dr. Doug Butler (see page 332) what I have on this shoe is a rocker toe. However, many European farriers will call it a set toe. So, to the best of my knowledge both a correct terms for the same thing. However, if I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.

[gtfarrier]

Very nicely done, do you make the solar surface of your frog support level with the solar of the shoe, or offset it at all?

Also, a bit of a non sequitur I know, but has anyone mentioned how very similar your voice is to that of Jamie Hyneman of the Mythbusters team?

[densonfarrier]

@gtfarrier Thanks for the nice comment. The answer to your question depends on whether I'm using the frog support just to increase support to the palmar aspect, or if I'm using it for a laminitic horse. My preference is to use as little static pressure as possible, and in most cases keep it level with the solar surface of the shoe. As to part two of you question: I've been told numerous times that I sound like Jamie. I've also been told that I look like him too. Long lost brother??

[agile52]

can you use induction heating to get the same results as firing the metal?

[densonfarrier]

@agile52 Yes, you can use induction heating, however, as of right now the necessary equipment is too bulky and normally requires at least 220V which most barns are wired for. In a shop setting it would work wonderfully, but after calculating the cost of equipment, propane/coal/coke are still much more economical. In the future, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see induction heating become much more mainstream for farriers, though the price would have to come down on the equipment.

[eFarriers]

Its always fascinating to watch a horseshoe formed from a piece of metal.

[densonfarrier]

I used Sure-Weld on this particular weld, but I've recently switched to Iron Mountain which takes a little getting used to. However, once you get used to it, it makes welding mild steel just like wrought iron, e.g. it almost welds itself. Thanks for the question!

[dawg1157]

No flux on the two joined pieces of metal?

[pcc483]

very nice work.