Vintage Gadgets: From Dad's Collection

Do you know what these were used for? Any guesses? Check back with this same post tomorrow to see if you were right!



6/2/11 Update:
The answer is.....Horse Hoof Nippers! They were used to trim a horse's hooves in the shoeing process. Horses that lived on farms periodically had their hooves trimmed and re-shoed so that they could better support the weight they carried. The set on the right was probably factory-made and was used by my grandfather.

My dad's not sure were the set on the left came from, but it is of better quality and was made by a true blacksmith. There are little stoppers on the handles near the top to prevent the painful smashing of fingers while squeezing the steel handles together.

These same types of tools are used today, but more modern, easy to sharpen spring-loaded Hoof Nippers now make the process quicker and safer.