RidersRasp™

A fundamental – and the easiest – step of a trim performed by a hoof care professional is rounding

Want to safely round your horse's hooves between farrier visits without harming the wall?

Reviewed by Ann Pruitt, InfoHorse.com · Updated June 2026

A fundamental – and the easiest – step of a trim performed by a hoof care professional is rounding the hoof wall. Accomplished using a rasp, rounding encourages the symmetrical growth of the hoof, helps balance the hoof capsule by eliminating flares and dishes, and removes sharp edges to prevent chipping and splitting.

RidersRasp™

RidersRasp™ By Natural Hoof Care Company
RidersRasp™ allows users to safely and effectively round their horse’s hooves to retain and prolong balance between professional trims and improve the overall condition of a horse’s hooves.

Why Do Horse Owners Need

RidersRasp™
?
A fundamental – and the easiest – step of a trim performed by a hoof care professional is rounding the hoof wall. Accomplished using a rasp, rounding encourages the symmetrical growth of the hoof, helps balance the hoof capsule by eliminating flares and dishes, and removes sharp edges to prevent chipping and splitting. Time spent in balance is easily lengthened through rounding.

Because a horse’s hooves change and become unbalanced through constant growth and irregular wear, frequent professional trimming is necessary to keep a barefoot horse sound. Excessive growth and uneven wear causing long toes, under run heels, flares and sharp edges will stress a horse’s hooves and legs. Many of these problems can be alleviated with regular hoof rounding maintenance between professional trims. In fact, the common denominator that links all successfully kept barefoot horses is rounding.

For many horse owners, rounding with a regular rasp to maintain the balance and condition of their barefoot horses between trims is difficult if not impossible. Now, the new RidersRasp™ easily allows owners to proactively maintain their horses’ hooves by rounding the hoof wall as new growth appears and before too much wear takes place. In the same time and position that it takes to clean out a hoof, everyone from backyard enthusiasts to top professionals can safely and effectively round their horses’ hooves using the RidersRasp™.

The Original Riders Rasp™
The Original RidersRasp™ features an ergonomic design that fits all hands, a soft grip with no slip sides to protect hands for the rasps, and rasps that are designed for rounding, not removing hoof wall. The Original RidersRasp™ uses medium finish files which are great for rounding or beveling the hoof, maintaining hoof form without the risk of removing too much hoof. RidersRasp™ is an "emery board" for the hoof. Safe for the rider, safe for the horse. The rasps are 52 Rockwell hardness. The protective plate is stainless. The sides are non-slip. 3 years of testing. This tool is tough!!!

· Safe and Easy to Use
· Replaceable Medium Finish and Medium Coarse Rasps are Available
· Designed for Rounding, Not Removing Hoof Wall
· Ergonomic Design Fits All Hands
· Soft Grip, No Slip Sides Protect Hands from Rasp
· Innovative and Unique Tool Designed for the Horse Owner

RidersRasp Trail™

The new RidersRasp Trail™ offers all the same great features as the Original RidersRasp™ but with permanent, Medium Coarse files at an economical price.

* Safe and Easy to Use
· Includes the NEW Medium Coarse Rasps
· Designed for Rounding, Not Removing Hoof Wall
· Ergonomic Design Fits All Hands
· Soft Grip, No Slip Sides Protect Hands from Rasp
· Innovative and Unique Tool Designed for the Horse Owner

What Customers Say

Our testers found the Riders Rasp a godsend compared to a traditional rasp, they could easily remove chips and round the hoof. RidersRasp belongs in everyones grooming box. Thumbs up to RidersRasp Horse Journal, May 2009 My Customers love the RidersRasp™! They found it very easy to use and 'non-threatening.' Once they got started they realized it would be very difficult to mess up.

Order RidersRasp™ Today!

In the time it takes to clean out your horse’s feet, you can save money. Rounding with RidersRasp™ every 2-3 weeks lengthens trimming intervals, requiring a professional trim every 7-8 weeks, rather than every 5-6 weeks, without compromising the balance and quality of the horse’s foot. Find us at JeffersEquine, ValleyVet, Amazon and more!

What exactly is the RidersRasp?

The Original RidersRasp® is a patented, owner-friendly hoof care tool built to round and shape the hoof wall between professional farrier visits. Unlike a traditional flat farrier rasp, it pairs a replaceable curved file with an ergonomic, soft no-slip grip so the cutting action is controlled and forgiving. It is designed for rounding the hoof wall, not removing it, which lets everyday horse owners safely sustain the balance their hoof care professional established. The result is symmetrical growth, fewer chips and cracks, and longer-lasting trims.

Who created the RidersRasp and who makes it now

The RidersRasp was developed by W.J. Tomlinson, an American Farriers Association Certified Journeyman Farrier, through his Cross Tie Equine Company of Greenville, Virginia. On July 25, 2013, Weaver Leather acquired the RidersRasp® product line from Cross Tie Equine Company. As Weaver president and CEO Chris Weaver put it, "Known for its ease of use, RidersRasp® is a natural fit for us, giving consumers yet another product that helps them solve everyday issues as horse owners." Today the tool and its accessories are manufactured and distributed under the Weaver Leather brand.

How the rounding action protects the hoof

Rounding the outer edge of the hoof wall is the easiest and most fundamental step of a trim, and it delivers outsized benefits. By beveling that edge, the RidersRasp stops cracking and splitting, removes flares and dishes, and encourages more symmetrical hoof growth. The maker's guidance is reassuringly simple: "If you can hold the horse's foot to clean it with a hoof pick, you can round it with the RidersRasp." A regular rounding regimen is described as the common denominator linking successfully kept barefoot horses.

Replaceable Heller files keep the tool cutting

The RidersRasp uses replaceable rasp inserts so the tool stays sharp for years rather than wearing out. Weaver Leather offers replacement blade kits in both coarse and medium finishes, with the coarse cut ideal for quicker, more aggressive material removal and shaping, and the medium finish for a smoother, steadier touch-up. Replacement packs ship as pairs of Heller rasp blades, letting owners swap in a fresh edge in minutes. Changing the file rather than the whole tool keeps long-term hoof maintenance inexpensive.

Who the RidersRasp Serves

This tool is aimed at horse owners who want to take a hands-on, between-trims role in their horse's soundness, whether their horses are barefoot or shod. "Rounding between professional trims adds value to the work done by your hoof care professional," the maker notes, and the rasp is equally useful when a shod horse throws a shoe and needs the rough edge dressed before the farrier returns. Because it extends the interval between professional trims, it can meaningfully reduce off-season hoof care costs. The single-hand, no-slip design fits all hand sizes and requires no farrier training to use safely.

Where to buy the RidersRasp

The Original RidersRasp® and its coarse and medium replacement blade kits are sold through Weaver Leather and a wide network of equine retailers, including Amazon, JAX Outdoor Gear Farm and Ranch, Adams Tack, Big Dee's Horse Tack & Vet Supplies, and many tack shops. The brand's home page lives at www.ridersrasp.com, which now routes to the Weaver Equine catalog; Weaver Equine customer service can be reached. When reordering, choose the coarse blades for heavier shaping or the medium blades for routine finishing.

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The Solution Section (FAQ)

What makes RidersRasp different from other options?

The Original RidersRasp uses medium finish files which are great for rounding or beveling the hoof, maintaining hoof form without the risk of removing too much hoof. * Safe and Easy to Use Includes the NEW Medium Coarse Rasps Designed for Rounding, Not Removing Hoof Wall Ergonomic Design Fits All Hands Soft Grip, No Slip Sides Protect Hands from Rasp Innovative and Unique Tool Designed for the Horse Owner What Do Customers Say About Our Products?

How does RidersRasp help horses or owners?

Accomplished using a rasp, rounding encourages the symmetrical growth of the hoof, helps balance the hoof capsule by eliminating flares and dishes, and removes sharp edges to prevent chipping and splitting.

How do you use RidersRasp?

I am going to strongly encourage my customers to own and use RidersRasp between trims. This product is easy to use, fits comfortably in your hand whether large or small, and fits easily into a saddle pack for use on the trail.

Who is RidersRasp designed for?

The Original RidersRasp The Original RidersRasp features an ergonomic design that fits all hands, a soft grip with no slip sides to protect hands for the rasps, and rasps that are designed for rounding, not removing hoof wall.

What is the RidersRasp used for?

The RidersRasp is a hoof care tool that lets horse owners round and bevel the outer edge of the hoof wall between professional farrier trims. Rounding stops cracking and splitting, removes flares and dishes, and encourages symmetrical hoof growth. It is designed for maintenance rounding, not for performing a full trim.

Who developed the RidersRasp?

Who manufactures the RidersRasp today?

Weaver Leather acquired the RidersRasp product line from Cross Tie Equine Company on July 25, 2013, and now manufactures and distributes it. Weaver president and CEO Chris Weaver called RidersRasp a natural fit known for its ease of use. The brand operates within Weaver's equine product family.

How is the RidersRasp different from a regular farrier rasp?

A traditional farrier rasp is a long flat steel file meant for removing hoof material during a full trim, which takes skill to use safely. The RidersRasp instead uses a replaceable curved file set into an ergonomic, soft no-slip handle so the action is controlled and forgiving. It is built specifically for rounding the hoof wall rather than removing it, making it owner-friendly.

Is the RidersRasp safe for an owner with no farrier training to use?

Yes. The maker's guidance sums it up: if you can hold the horse's foot to clean it with a hoof pick, you can round it with the RidersRasp. The no-slip grip and rounding-only design make it difficult to take off too much, and it operates with a single hand. It is intended to supplement, not replace, your professional farrier.

Does the RidersRasp replace my farrier?

No. It is designed to add value to the work your hoof care professional already does by maintaining hoof balance between visits. Rounding between professional trims helps the trim last longer and keeps the hoof in better condition. You should still keep your horse on a regular professional trim schedule.

What does rounding the hoof wall actually accomplish?

Rounding bevels the sharp outer edge of the hoof wall, which prevents chipping and splitting and removes flares and dishes that throw the hoof out of balance. Over time it encourages more symmetrical hoof growth and helps balance the hoof capsule. The maker describes a regular rounding regimen as a common denominator among successfully kept barefoot horses.

Can the RidersRasp be used on shod horses?

Yes. While it is especially valued by barefoot horse owners, it is also useful for shod horses, particularly when a horse throws a shoe and the rough edge needs dressing before the farrier returns. Rounding the wall around or between shoeings helps reduce cracking and keeps the foot tidy.

What are the replacement blades, and how often do I change them?

The RidersRasp uses replaceable rasp inserts so the tool itself lasts for years. Weaver Leather sells replacement blade kits that ship as pairs of Heller rasp blades. You swap in a fresh blade when the cutting edge dulls, which keeps the tool effective without buying a whole new rasp.

What is the difference between coarse and medium replacement blades?

The coarse-cut blades are designed for quicker, more aggressive material removal and shaping of the hoof wall. The medium finish blades give a smoother, steadier touch-up for routine maintenance. Owners often keep both on hand, using coarse for heavier work and medium for finishing.

Are the replacement blades easy to install?

Yes. The blades are designed to be changed quickly by the owner, swapping in a fresh pair in minutes without tools or special skill. This replaceable-blade design is central to keeping long-term hoof maintenance affordable, since you replace only the worn file rather than the entire tool.

Will using the RidersRasp save me money?

It can. By maintaining hoof balance between trims, a regular rounding regimen can extend the interval between professional visits, which is especially helpful for reducing off-season hoof care costs. Because only the rasp blades are consumable and replaceable, the ongoing cost is low.

Where can I buy the RidersRasp and its replacement blades?

The Original RidersRasp and its coarse and medium replacement blade kits are available through Weaver Leather and a broad network of equine retailers, including Amazon, JAX Outdoor Gear Farm and Ranch, Adams Tack, and Big Dee's Horse Tack & Vet Supplies. The brand's site at www.ridersrasp.com routes to the Weaver Equine catalog.

How do I contact the company about the RidersRasp?

The RidersRasp is now part of Weaver Leather's equine line, and Weaver Equine customer service can be reached at 800-932-8371. The brand home page lives at www.ridersrasp.com, which directs to the Weaver Equine catalog. Many local tack shops that carry Weaver products can also order it for you.

Is the RidersRasp ergonomic and comfortable to hold?

Yes. It features an ergonomic design with a soft, no-slip grip intended to fit all hand sizes and protect the hands during use. It is meant to be operated with a single hand while you hold the horse's foot, much as you would when picking out the hoof.

How often should I round my horse's hooves with the RidersRasp?

The maker recommends a regular rounding regimen, describing consistency as the common denominator among successfully kept barefoot horses. Many owners round lightly on a routine schedule between professional trims rather than waiting for chips and flares to appear. Your farrier can advise on a cadence that suits your individual horse.

Is the RidersRasp patented?

Yes. The Original RidersRasp is described as a patented hoof care tool. It was developed by Certified Journeyman Farrier W.J. Tomlinson and is now produced under the Weaver Leather brand following the 2013 acquisition of the product line.