A good pair of hoof nippers is one of the most important tools a farrier owns. Drop forged steel and hand-sharpened jaws are built to give a clean, accurate trim for years, but only if the nippers are used the right way. Follow these five simple rules and your nippers will stay sharp, aligned and ready for every hoof.
1Use hoof nippers only on hooves
Hoof nippers are made for one job: trimming the hoof wall. The jaws are ground and aligned to cut horn cleanly. Using them on anything else, such as nails, wire or metal, puts force on the cutting edges that they were never designed to take.
2Use smooth, steady force
Close the handles with smooth, even pressure and keep going until the nippers cut right through the hoof. There is no need to jerk or force the handles. Let the sharp jaws do the work, and you will get a cleaner cut with less effort and less strain on your hands and wrists.
3Focus on cutting, not pulling
While you use the nippers, keep your attention on cutting the hoof, not on pulling the hoof with the nippers. Pulling or twisting before the cut is finished tears the horn instead of cutting it, leaves a rough edge and puts sideways stress on the jaws.
4Do not pull with extra force: it blunts the jaws
Pulling the hoof with extra force makes the sharp jaws go blunt much faster, because the cutting edges are pressed and twisted against the horn. Before you pull away, make sure the cut is complete. If it is not, close the nippers again and finish the cut first.
5Never use hoof nippers on horseshoe nails
Some people use their nippers to cut or pull horseshoe nails. This is the biggest misuse of a hoof nipper, because it takes the tool completely outside its main purpose. Hardened nails will chip, dent and blunt the cutting edges, and a damaged jaw will no longer close evenly on the hoof. Use the right tool for every job instead:
- Nail pullers to pull horseshoe nails
- Clinch cutters / buffers to open the clinches
- Shoe pullers / pull offs to remove the shoe
In short
- Use hoof nippers only on hooves.
- Use smooth, steady force until the cut is complete.
- Focus on cutting the hoof, not pulling it.
- Do not pull with extra force: it blunts the jaws.
- Never use hoof nippers on horseshoe nails.
Looking for professional hoof nippers?
Rekhi Hoof Solution nippers are drop forged in high-grade chrome vanadium carbon steel, with hand-sharpened, aligned jaws.