njanvilman Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 I picked this hoof tool up at a local flea market. I love tools made from bronze, and it just looked neat. There is no name on it. My questions are: 1. What is this tool called? 2. Manufacturer? 3. Are they still used? Thanks for any information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 I don't know if they're still used, but I remember seeing one of these in the photo essay on Horseshoeing in Foxfire 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Well the centaur forge online catalog calls it a Hoof Gauge under "Tool for Farriers" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Yes, it is a hoof gauge or angle gauge used before and after trimming the hoof to check the angle you're seeking. I always carried one like the one pictured. They're made of brass. In my experience shoeing, I found that front feet averaged about 52 degrees. One must be circumspect when measuring however, because some hooves are "dished" (incurved) as viewed from the side. The dish is undesirable, so the shoer must guesstimate where the coffin bone is located within the hoof capsule. The envisioned coffin bone will give a more true measure than does the gauge when applied to the dish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 5 hours ago, Frank Turley said: Yes, it is a hoof gauge or angle gauge used before and after trimming the hoof to check the angle you're seeking. I always carried one like the one pictured. They're made of brass. In my experience shoeing, I found that front feet averaged about 52 degrees. One must be circumspect when measuring however, because some hooves are "dished" (incurved) as viewed from the side. The dish is undesirable, so the shoer must guesstimate where the coffin bone is located within the hoof capsule. The envisioned coffin bone will give a more true measure than does the gauge when applied to the dish. Are these brass gauges still used or have they been replace by modern nylon or plastic versions? When do you think this one dates from? And thanks for your information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Your search engine will show that the brass gauge is still very much in the marketplace and is desirable. There are other models like Ward & Story, but the brass one is still popular. I bought mine in the late1960's. Post Script. I never used the length bar on my gauge to determine toe length. I used dividers which I felt were more accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Brass or aluminum. Plastic dosnt fair well in our like of work. I don't use mine as much as my clients do. After listening to some idiot can chaser b, er complain about me not getting that 52 deg front and 53 degree back angle, I hand them the gage, haven't been more than a 1/2 degree off. It's amazing what the landmarks on the bottom of that foot can tell you about the cofen bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seldom (dick renker) Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I second Frank's reply all the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 While in a stables helping to harness and hitch a new team I saw a farrier use one of these on the horse he was shoeing. I mentioned it to him as not seen one used in a while his reply was, under his breath, "The owner is holding the horse" AH was my reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubalcain2 Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 we have one in the farrier shop i work in. don't use it often, though. only if the customer is pickey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 A hoof angle gauge does not take into consideration that there more than likely is distortion in the dorsal wall of the hoof.. So while it theoretically shows what the angle is from dorsal wall to the trimmed wall at the ground bearing/sole plane, it's irrelevant because of the distortion in the toe... Or toe distortion " Frank mentioned that the hoof wall might not be straight in the front" this is toe distortion.. Ideally the angle should be measured in a way to take this into account when toe distortion is present, the front of the coffin bone would be more conclusive and accurate.. There is also a gauge called a Finnegan gauge which was an evolution of the hoof angle gauge but still has the same limitations of hoof toe distortions.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Mine has a bit of a dogleg so that it to her the hoof wall about 2/3 of the way to the coronary band, bypassing most of the flare in a heathy foot (all bets are off when dealing with cronic laminitis or some of the mangled wire scared feet I've seen. The problem is it's not a one size fits all deal. Horses feet come in all kinds of different conformations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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