# Recommendations for hoof nippers?



## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

Anyone recommend a good brand of hoof nippers? They are for a draft with big feet. Thanks


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## levi1739 (Jul 25, 2003)

http://www.stockhoffsonline.com/acatalog/Hoof_Nippers_GE_Forge.html

These are what most professionals are using. Not cheap but then quality usually comes with a price. 


Have fun, be safe

Jack


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

I used a pair of double action nippers for years, but the blades were 1 1/2 wide and still hard for draft horses. I think a good quality set, single action, with a 3/4 inch wide cut works best. 
Don't ever use them to take shoes off or clip nails.

Get a sharpening stone for hoof knives. Sharp hoof knives are most important and dull knives are hard to sharpen without a stone shaped to get into that hook area.


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## TroutRiver (Nov 26, 2010)

Diamond is a great brand. A little pricey but if used correctly they stay sharp and will last forever. Hoof trimming equipment is one of those things that you get what you pay for...


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

Actually, Diamond brand nippers are pretty cheap and worthless for trimming (I use them as pull-offs) - don't waste your money. GE is the way to go.


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

Agree with the GE nippers as being the best. With a draft and thick walls, you may want longer handles for better leverage in cutting. You can send GEs back to the Company for resharpening, come back like new nippers. I wouldn't sharpen them myself, to prevent getting them off.

Diamonds don't even stay sharp thru ONE horse's hooves in a trim. Lesser quality of steel used, so they just can't hold a good cutting edge.

You might talk to a local Farrier, see if he has a used pair of GE nippers he would sell for less than new price. My husband the Farrier, sells his older GE nippers. He does so many horses, he goes thru several pairs of GEs each year. Plus he wants them sharp enough to shave with. The older nippers are still plenty sharp and would suit anyone not doing a lot of horses, or needing that super sharpness in their work.

With sharp tools, you don't have to work NEARLY so hard trimming. Lets you take off FRACTIONS of hoof, as you go around the wall, with your better control. A good Farrier is paid for "What is left on the hoof, not by the volume removed". Sometimes the animal only needs a smoothing off trim, not great depths of hoof cut to the quick. GEs will let you do that with their sharpness.


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## hilarybennett (Mar 4, 2013)

http://budnippers.com/


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## Bret4207 (May 31, 2008)

I have Percherons with rock hard feet. I have an ancient set of Hellers that work well. I tried the compound action nippers and found I wasted $80.00. It takes at least 2 hands to use them. Very un-handy. And just completely ignore the feed store/TSC so called hoof nippers that sell for $20-40.00. Worthless. You can also forget the "paring" type nippers that are supposed to do the sole. Maybe on a little Arab with small feet they work, but they aren't worth a bucket of warm spit on a drafter. 

Invest in a good set of quality nippers and take care of them. And invest in a good hoof rasp too. Simonds in about the best if you can find one. The feed store/TSC rasps are garbage.


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## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

OK looks like what I was afraid of, GE nippers probably the way to go...guess I'll bite the bullet and spend the 200+


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## Bret4207 (May 31, 2008)

Well, you may want to visit some of the blacksmith and farrier sites and see what they say. GE is expensive, but I bet there are other alternatives that work well for less than $200.00. Like I say, I have 50 year old Hellers that I got for nothing that are 100 X better than the feed store junk. Ask around. And if you go used, make sure your get hoof nippers and not nail nippers. They often resemble each other strongly, until you start trying to cut hoof!


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Yes, there are places that have GEs for less than that. I think I got mine from the Shoe Barn or some place in Texas. 
I love mine.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

People who trim a horse now and again will give you different advice than us farriers who trim horses all day every day. Other farriers will give you the same answer as I and goodhors.

Where do you get new GE nippers for less than $200? I sure would love to know since I go through several pair a year. Many places are charging closer to $220.


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