If you’re a horseshoer, you work with metal every day. But how much do you have to really know about metallurgy — the science underlying the working of metal — to be successful? That might depend on how you define success and what kind of farrier you want to be.

When maintaining tools, we immediately think of pritchels, forepunches and such. How many of us, though, stop and think about repairing the face of our hammers?

Growing up in a family that bred Quarter Horses, there was no doubt that Sonny Pistilli was going to make a career in the equine industry. It was through the need to tack on a shoe that he became a farrier. In 1965, his farrier couldn't make it out to put a shoe back on a prized show horse. The judge disqualified the horse for only wearing three shoes. He began riding with his mentor, the legendary Seamus Brady, to learn the basics in case he found himself in a pinch again. After 5 months, he was hooked on the trade.

Whether it is for driving nails, shaping shoes or drawing clips, the hammer's fit should be based on the user's preference. There are no secrets or tricks when it comes to finding the right hammer for you. You want a hammer that feels good, delivers the performance you need and has durability. Whether you go with the best or buy an entry-level instrument, your hammer is the right hammer when it delivers accuracy and efficiency in your everyday work.

’Tis the season. Days grow shorter and the skies threaten snow. Barns sit quiet. Horses stand barefoot. Farriers slow down and start daydreaming about the shiny new tools in magazine ads and winter trade show booths.

Jeff Ridley, a farrier from Leighton, Iowa, says rounding hammers are a pretty basic kind of tool.