Cattle Boss hoof knife

Details

This is the knife you reach for when a pick is not enough: when there is a soft spot in the sole, a black line running up the white line, or a bruise you need to open and see. The blade is ground on one edge and curls to a hook at the tip, so you can set it into a defect, roll your wrist, and lift material out rather than gouging at it. Single-edge is a deliberate choice. You can lay your thumb along the back of the blade for control and take short, shallow strokes, which is exactly how you should be working anywhere near live tissue. Two edges cut faster. One edge cuts where you meant to. It is handed. Check which way the hook curls against the way you hold a foot before you order a second one for the other side of the barn. Keep it genuinely sharp. A sharp hoof knife takes thin ribbons off under light pressure; a dull one makes you lean, and leaning is how you end up too deep. Strop it often, hone it on a fine stone, and put a guard or a bit of hose over the blade before it goes back in the kit. If you find something you did not expect under that sole, such as deep drainage, a warm foot, or an animal that will not bear weight, stop and phone your veterinarian.