DAE have nail issues on super dry ground?

Harper Owens · 2026-03-02T10:36:05.811352+00:00

I was shoeing a draft horse yesterday and the nails kept bending or not sitting flush. The soil in my area is bone dry from weeks without rain, making the hooves extra brittle. I ended up using a different nail type and going slower to avoid cracks. How do you adjust your approach when the ground gets this hard?

jenkins.elizabeth6mo ago

Blame the ground all you want. Bad nails or rushing the job will cause issues in any condition.

3

jones.faith6mo ago

Used to agree with @jenkins.elizabeth, but brittle hooves proved me wrong.

2

henryt185mo ago

My farrier swears by a 10-degree nail angle in hard ground.

4

margaret9546mo ago

Actually, dry ground totally changes how nails set. Jenkins.elizabeth isn't wrong about bad practice, but brittle hooves from drought are a real thing. Going slower like you did is smart.

1