Get A Better Tool Grip!

When it comes to shoeing tools, Doug Dutcher has this advice for getting a better grip. “Wrap your rounding hammer handle with VetWrap,” says the farrier who shoes in Fulton and Montgomery counties in New York. “It solves the problem of sweaty hands and a slipping hammer. It lasts a long time and you have better control of your hammer.”

Bob Smith of Lexington, Ky., applies VetWrap to the handles of most tools in hot weather to provide a better grip. Renee Dohmen of Sauk Rapids, Minn., has found that wrapping tool handles with VetWrap during cold weather helps protect her hands from the bitter cold, and can also serve as a minimal shock absorber on hammers and other tool handles. Another suggestion from an American Farriers Journal reader is using black electrician’s tape, while another farrier suggested tennis racket grip tape, adding that it comes in multiple colors and worked better than VetWrap. Still another idea for improving the grip on your shoeing tools came from Jerry Clayton, an Arkansas shoer. “I wrap my shoeing hammer handle with small diameter nylon cord,” he says. “The cord absorbs moisture (sweat) and shock and provides a better grip.”

Providing Service Is What Counts

“I’ve built my shoeing business around providing service,” says Quentin Wiseman of Newnan, Ga. “If necessary, I’ll drive out and fix a horse at 10:30 p.m. for a customer who is about to take his or her horses out of town the next…