My change to immediate tool care after every appointment

In my experience, I used to leave my tools until the end of the day to clean them. This seemed faster, but my gear would get rusty and not cut well. About six months back, I started wiping down and sharpening right after finishing with each horse. It takes a little extra time per visit, maybe five to ten minutes, but now my tools are always ready. I find the work goes quicker because the blades are sharp, and the horses stand quieter. I've seen this practice catch on with some other shoers around here too. Your mileage may vary, but for me, it's a small step that pays off big. Keeping up with this habit has my jobs flowing better and leaves the owners pleased.

3 comments

3 Comments

ryanm457mo ago

But what if you're already running behind? I see the point, but stopping after every single horse sounds like a great way to kill your momentum. My tools are built to last, and a good end-of-day clean has always kept them in shape without all the extra stops. Sometimes you just have to push through and handle the upkeep when you're done, not let it break up your workflow. That five minutes per horse adds up fast, and I'd rather be home earlier.

taylorw897mo ago

Actually, that five minutes feels like it buys time later. Sharp tools make the next horse go way faster, so you kind of get the minutes back. Letting stuff pile up just makes the final clean a bigger, slower chore.

williams.angela7mo ago

Five minutes per horse might work in a perfect world, but real days are messy. I doubt stopping that often is as critical as some say. Tools can take a beating and still work fine with a solid clean at night. Constant breaks just break your flow, and that costs more time than it saves. It's not worth stressing over every little bit of dirt.