Learning how to use a rasp effectively is dependent on 1) getting the right rasp 2) understanding the concept of rasping with, against and across the grain, and 3) developing good tool technique.

Get a good farrier's rasp!!! If you have a farrier supply shop nearby, stop in and ask what is popular for summer and finish trimming. I carry three working rasps; a summer rasp (a Heller), a finishing rasp (a Save Edge) , and an old used Heller or Save Edge for removing the clinches on shod feet.

A used good rasp in good condition is easier for beginners to use than a brand new rasp, because a new rasp has more bite.

A good rasp will last months or years if you only have a few horses and if you take care of it. I use rasp covers made of 2 inch flat hose that is sold by the foot on reels in hardware stores, and insert my rasp into it anytime I'm not using it. I never lay my rasp on the ground; if I have to lay it, I lay the handle on something high to keep the blade off the ground. If I'm working, I either lay it across my toe, in my stool shelf or hang it from my chap belt with a Big Lugg http://www.bigglugg.com/home.html. I trim between 20 and 40 horses with one rasp; this is a lot compared to what most farrier's do. I keep my rasps in great shape and they work hard for me.

I suggest that you find a farrier or expert trimmer to watch in order to get the hang of rasp techniques. Good technique makes rasping MUCH easier!

Rasp with the grain of the hoof, not against it. Draw an arrow on the end of your rasp (with a permanent marker) pointing away from the handle, and remember that is the direction that your rasp needs to move with the grain of the hoof. If you drag the rasp backwards against the grain it eventually dulls the blade. I sometimes draw arrows with the grain on the walls for folks who feel clumsy with a rasp (don't laugh!) and tell them that the arrow on the rasp and the arrow on the walls can't point at each other! Most struggle is because people don't slow down to contemplate the basics of working with the grain of the hoof.

I've had folks get so focused on tool use that they rasped right through the toe callous or into the white line! I suggest that you get the hang of rasping with the grain using a chunk of wood and a wood rasp. Experiment rasping with, across and against the grain by both pulling and pushing the rasp. Draw the arrows! They do help.

Take long, easy strokes, using most of the rasps surface and pushing the rasp without a lot of pressure. The rasp is suppose to glide over the surface, shedding off wall in flakes. Most beginners take little tiny, deep strokes thinking that tiny strokes make rasping easier; it doesn't! If it's hard to move the rasp using the coarse side, start out on the fine side until you rasp the surface of the hoof off... The deeper you go, the softer the wall, the easier it is to rasp with the coarse side.

Applying a hoof softener to the wall, sole and frog 15 minutes before you start trimming makes rasping a lot easier, too. I like Hoof Marvel, an all natural product, but there are others to choose from.

Let your eyes see the whole hoof as you rasp! Don't hyper-focus on one little spot, because you'll get tense and inefficient. Relax and imagine yourself as a fine craftsperson coaxing a hoof into a more natural shape. And remember - Less Is More! Don't get carried away.....