When drilling and tapping horseshoes, how many holes do you drill? More than likely, it’s two. However, you might want to consider four.

Mineral Wells, Texas, farrier Tommy Boudreau drills two holes on each branch, recalling a conversation with Collinsville, Texas, farrier Danny Anderson that illustrates why the extra hole is key.

“Over breakfast, Danny said that he had to fix a shoe before he came to the clinic we were attending,” he recalls. “One of his reined cow horses twisted off a screw-in calk, which left part of it in the shoe. He had to pull the shoe, clean out the screw hole and rethread it. 

“I told him I put two holes in each heel for that very reason. If they tear one off, there is another hole. That second hole has saved me numerous times. We even shared that tip at the clinic later that day.”

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