Found a weird trick for a tough clinch on a draft horse

I was working on a big Belgian yesterday, the kind with feet like dinner plates, and I just could not get the clinch to sit right on the last nail. My usual method of a quick tap with the clinch block wasn't cutting it. Out of ideas, I called up my old mentor, Frank, who told me something I'd never heard: try a drop of hoof oil on the clinch point before you drive it. I was sure he was messing with me, but I had a bottle of Fiebing's in my truck. I put one tiny drop on, drove the nail, and it folded over smooth as butter on the first hit. He said the oil reduces just enough friction to let the metal bend without cracking or springing back. I've been shoeing for a while and never thought of that. Has anyone else used a little lube for a stubborn clinch, or is this some old-timer secret?

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3 Comments

nancybennett5mo ago

That oil trick is just asking for a loose shoe later.

5

alice_mitchell5mo ago

Honestly Nancy, have you ever tried just a tiny drop on the clinch point?

2

the_hugo5mo ago

Just asking for a loose shoe" misses the point. You use a single drop, not a soak, so it doesn't affect the nail's hold. The oil just helps the very tip of the clinch bend over cleanly.

1