Thinking outside the box is one of those hot ideas that gets a lot of mileage in business management books. It has its place in horseshoeing, as well, but for the purposes of this article, we’re going to dive inside the box: Your toolbox.

Yes, we’re heading back to the basics and revisiting your precious tools — the same ones that gave you that rush when you first held them — and how they can save you money, make you more efficient and how you can give them the respect they deserve.

Consider this: Annually, a pair of nippers is opened and closed 180,000 times, clinchers 90,000 times, and 75,000 pulls are made with your pulloffs. And that’s just average use. Tools wear out. Especially with the strain you’re asking them to go through. And if anyone knows tools, it’s Dan Bradley of Lucedale, Miss.

The shoer and representative from G. E. Forge & Tools has seen just about every kind of abuse inflicted upon farrier tools. The key to being profitable, he told attendees at the first-ever International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, is acknowledging the specific use your tools were designed for, and understanding the importance of proper maintenance.

Be Picky

A set of basic trimming and shoeing tools runs anywhere from $179 to $760. While the “upper end tools” might be desirable, all grades of tools have their place, and can function if cared for properly. In other words, don’t make snap decisions based on fads or…