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horseshoe

 
(hôrs'shū', hôrsh'-) pronunciation
n.
  1. A flat U-shaped metal plate fitted and nailed to the bottom of a horse's hoof for protection.
  2. A U-shaped object similar to a horseshoe.
  3. horseshoes (used with a sing. verb) A game in which players toss horseshoes or horseshoe-shaped metal pieces at a stake so as to encircle it or come closer to it than the other players.
tr.v., -shoed, -shoe·ing, -shoes.
To fit with horseshoes.


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How is a horseshoe made?

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Background

Horseshoes protect a horse's hooves from wear on hard or rough surfaces. They are also designed to improve a horse's gait, to help its conformation (how the horse stands), and to control interference problems (when hooves or legs collide with each other). For instance, for a condition called winging in—where hoof flight is to the inside of the stride—can be corrected by a square-toe shoe.

A horseshoe is a U-shaped metal plate, usually made of steel though aluminum is also used. Aluminum shoes are more expensive than steel. There are also plastic-coated metal shoes, and even all-plastic horseshoes. Two-piece shoes are made of steel with a removable plastic insert. The all-purpose steel shoe used for pleasure riding is known as a keg shoe, since they used to come in a wooden keg. The shoes can be attached with nails since the hoof is very dense and contains no nerves. The cost to shoe a horse ranges from $80-$280, depending on the type of shoe and material.

There are about 15 other types of horseshoes, depending on the breed of the horse and its function. Some breeds use different shoes on the front hooves than on the back. Some shoes come with a traction device so the horse can grip the ground better. Thoroughbred racehorses use what is known as a racing plate made from aluminum on the front. For the hind feet, an aluminum shoe known as a caulk or cauk is used that is embedded with steel to help improve abrasion and wear resistance. Some aluminum shoes are more squared off to resemble a hoof from a healthy wild horse.

Standardbred racehorses use a lightweight steel shoe in front that is designed with a half round section or a grooved section called a swage. Sometimes a combination of these two is used. Steel is used in the back. Different shoes are used whether the horse is a trotter or pacer. Horses used for hunting or jumping use a shoe similar to the keg but a bit wider. Sometimes a traction device called a stud (like cleats) is used that is screwed into the shoe before the show. Draft horses use a thicker shoe since they are much heavier and larger than most other breeds. Saddlebreds, which have special gaits, use a toe weight shoe, which is 1 in (2.54 cm) wide in the front and 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide elsewhere.

History

The horse was a major means of transportation in the United States until the automobile was invented. The horse population declined from 1910-1960, as they were replaced with cars. However, in the early 1960s, the population increased as horse racing and riding became popular as a means of recreation. Over the last decade or so, the horse population has remained relatively stable. The decline in horse racing due to the replacement of other forms of gambling has been offset by the increased popularity of pleasure riding and horse shows.

The process of forging and attaching horse-shoes became an important craft in medieval times, and played a major role in the development of metallurgy. Blacksmiths (iron was called black metal) made most of the iron objects used in everyday life though farriery, (farrier, which comes from the Latin word for iron, ferrum) or horseshoeing, was the most frequent occupation. A farrier's equipment consists of a furnace or forge, an anvil (a heavy block of steel or iron), tongs, and hammers. First, the sole and rim of the horse's hoof is cleaned and shaped with rasps and knives. The horseshoe is heated in a forge until it is soft enough to shape with the hammer to fit the hoof, cooled by quenching it in water, and attached to the hoof with nails.

As machines took over the blacksmith's job, and horses disappeared from use in agriculture and transport, the need for farriery declined. Improvements in horseshoe design also have reduced the amount of forging work required by farriers.

Raw Materials

A low carbon mild steel designated A-36 is used for the most popular type of horseshoe. The steel comes in the form of round bars ranging from 0.5-0.7 in (1.27-1.8 cm) in diameter, depending on the type of shoe to be made. These bars are then cut to various lengths, again depending on the shoe type.

Design

Horseshoes are designed according to the breed of the horse, and will vary in size, shape and thickness. Since most are mass-produced, these designs are standard and are made using a two-part die that matches the dimensions and shape desired. A new die is only required if it wears out. In a few instances, custom-designed shoes are still made by hand at several companies. Some farriers also custom make horseshoes for lame or ill horses, which are typically shaped like a heart instead of a U.

The Manufacturing Process

Forging, one of the oldest metal forming methods, is the primary process used for horseshoes. This process shapes metals by deforming them with a hammer, a press, or rollers. Smith forging consists of making a part by banging on the heated metal with a hammer. This is the familiar forging process performed by blacksmiths (farriers) on horseshoes. Hammer forging is simply a larger and more machine-produced version of the same thing.

Cutting & bending

  • The bar is cut to length according to the type of shoe using shear blades. The cutting equipment is operated either mechanically or manually by a foot pedal. After cutting, the bar is heated in an induction furnace or gas-fired forge to a temperature of around 2,300°F (1,260°C). The softened metal is then wrapped around a block of steel in the shape of the shoe using custom designed equipment. Another type of bending equipment uses a plunger in the shape of the shoe, which forces the bar into the desired shape.

Forging

  • Drop forging, the most common of the forging processes, is used for most horseshoes. After the bar is bent, it is then forced into a die with the required dimensions by a powered hammer. One half of the die is attached to the hammer and the other half to the anvil. A cam mechanism determines the length of the stroke of the ram or how close the dies come together.

Finishing operations

  • Once the shoe is bent, it is transferred to a punch press for making the nail holes. Usually eight holes are made per shoe. The punch tooling is custom designed for each type of shoe. Then a trim press is used to remove excess material, or flash. At this point, the shoe is still hot, around 1,900-2,000°F (1038-1093°C). After trimming, it is air cooled for 45-60 minutes.

Packaging

  • After cooling, horseshoes are packaged by hand in 25 or 50 pound boxes. A 50-lb (23-kg) box typically holds 80 shoes. Some manufacturers package 15 or 30 pairs per box.

Quality Control

The raw material must meet the chemical specifications as designated, which is verified by testing by the raw material supplier before shipping. To prevent rust, the round bars are stored under tarps. During forging, the operators constantly check the die visually for wear and other defects. Dimensional tolerances of the shoe (width and thickness) must be within 1/16 inch. The nail holes must be checked for correct position. The hole is monitored for any cracks, which causes missing holes. During the trimming operation, the press is also monitored for cracks, which can cause burrs.

Byproducts/Waste

The flash, or excess material, that is trimmed from the shoe is collected and sent back to a scrap yard for remelting and rerolling. Defective horseshoes are also reprocessed and reused.

The Future

The steel shoe is expected to remain the most popular shoe over the long term. The basic manufacturing process therefore will not change much, though forging presses are becoming more automated, with programmable control of how much force is used and when. Horseshoe designs will continue to be modified to meet specific markets.

The horse population is expected to remain relatively stable over the next few years, though certain parts of the United States will see declines. For instance, in states like New Jersey the price of real estate is becoming so high that one can no longer afford to buy enough land to keep horses. In Michigan, the horse population has declined by almost 20% from 1984 to 1997, as farm land is developed and casinos replace race tracks as the gambler's preference.

Where to Learn More

Periodicals

Cain, Charlie. "Urban Sprawl and Demise of Racetracks Cuts Horse Population." Detroit News (September 30, 1997).

"A Cobbler's Touch: Custom Horseshoes Help Lame, III Horses." The Dallas Morning News (February 11, 1999).

Van Wyk, Anika. "Making the Shoe Fit/Modern Touches to an Old Trade." The Calgary Sun (2000).

Other

Equestrian Records and Curiosity. http://www.mrhorse.com/Recordsen.htm (21 February 2000).

International Equine Resource Center. http://www.horseshoes.com (January 2001).

[Article by: Laurel M. Sheppard]


Nowadays the horseshoe is a generalized symbol of good luck, used, for instance, on greeting cards and wedding cakes; already in the late 14th century it was believed that to find a horseshoe by chance is a lucky thing. Later references are numerous, and give more details: one should pick it up, spit on it, and toss it over the left shoulder, making a wish. The luck is increased if some nails are still in it.

Earlier, horseshoes specifically counteracted witchcraft. They were set at the door ‘so that no witch shall have power to enter’ (Scot, 1584: book 12, chapter 18), and ‘to afflict the Witch, causing the evil to return back upon them’ (J. Blagrave, Astrological Practice (1671) 138). The early references (16th to mid-19th centuries) usually talk of horseshoes nailed to the threshold or the steps leading to the door; this arrangement can still occasionally be seen, for instance at an old smithy at Burpham (Sussex), where several are set into a concrete threshold. It was also common to nail them behind the door, as hidden protectors; nowadays, it is more usual to display them openly, on or above the door. Horseshoes were also much used on ships, being nailed to the main mast and elsewhere.

In Lincolnshire in the 1850s, some people would nail them to a bed to prevent ague and alcoholic delirium; one woman, reportedly, tapped them with a hammer, saying:

Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
Nail the devil to this post.
With this mell I thrice do knock,
One for God, and one for Wod, and one for Lok.


The clergyman recording this assumed it referred to the Germanic gods Woden and Loki, and capitalized accordingly, but he may have misheard some phrase ending in the more commonplace ‘one for luck’ (Heanley, Folk-Lore 9 (1898), 186).

In London in the early 20th century, a horseshoe wrapped in red flannel was hung over the bed to prevent nightmares. As storms, diseases, and nightmares were often blamed on witches, the underlying idea is still that of protection from evil magic. In Somerset, they were used in stables to stop pixies ‘riding’ the horses. In Yorkshire belief, if a maiden found three horseshoes in one year, threw each over her left shoulder, walked three times round it, and kept it, she and all her children (though not her possessions) would be immune to witchcraft (Blake-borough, 1898: 158-9).

Using astrological shorthand, Aubrey comments that ‘Mars/iron is hostile to Saturn/lead, and therefore to witches', meaning that it is iron which gives horseshoes their power (Aubrey, 1686/1880: 27). As regards positioning, many accounts from the 16th century till now agree that a horseshoe fixed vertically should have its ‘heel’, i.e. the points, pointing upwards to catch and hold the good luck, though this rule was not always followed—blacksmiths themselves often preferred them to be pointing down. According to Aubrey, horseshoes laid flat on a threshold had ‘the hollow’ pointing into the house.

Bibliography
The full bibliography list is available here.

  • Opie and Tatem, 1989: 202-4
  • Roud, 2003: 257-9

Name formerly given to the sign for the truth-function of material implication, which in some systems is written pq.

Columbia Encyclopedia:

horseshoe

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horseshoe, narrow plate, commonly of iron or steel, shaped to fit a horse's hoof and attached to the hoof by nailing it to the inner edge of the horny wall of the hoof. Horseshoes vary from the light plate worn by race-horses to the heavy shoe with sharp pointed wedges, or calks, worn by horses of logging camps in drawing heavy loads over roads of ice. The earliest extant shoe dates from the 6th cent. B.C. A horseshoe used by the Romans was a leather boot with a metal plate at the bottom. Before the advent of motor vehicles, shoeing horses was an important trade, often combined with general blacksmithing. Often the horseshoer's skill cured lameness, and before veterinary medicine became a profession the horseshoer, or farrier, treated horses for all their diseases. The horseshoe is an emblem and talisman of good luck.


In the Middle Ages horseshoes were nailed on the thresholds of homes to keep out witches. The significance of the horseshoe, however, is probably of more ancient origin, possibly being related to the two-horn shape that was believed to repel the evil eye in more ancient civilizations. This shape may have derived from a belief in animal horns as a symbol of good fortune. Iron as a metal is also traditionally believed to repel witches, fairies, and evil spirits, and the horseshoe combined both the shape and the metal that would ensure good fortune and avert evil.

For protection the horseshoe charm was placed outside buildings with the prongs pointing upward, so that the luck would not "run out," but in many buildings the horseshoe was used indoors with the prongs pointing down, so that good luck would be diffused inside the house.

Gypsies, who have a special relationship to horses, saw the horseshoe as a charm against the demons of unhappiness, bad luck, bad health, and death.

Sources:

Trigg, E. B. Gypsy Demons and Divinities: The Magical and Supernatural Practices of the Gypsies. London: Sheldon Press, 1973.

Word Tutor:

horseshoe

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: A flat metal plate shaped like a U, nailed to a mare or stallion's hoof to protect it.

pronunciation A physicist visits a colleague and notices a horseshoe hanging on the wall above the entrance. — Niels Bohr (1885-1962)

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

The Dream Encyclopedia:

Horseshoe

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The horseshoe is often a lucky portent of success in the dreamer's endeavors. Myth and folklore associate good fortune and protection with this symbol.


That part of the art of blacksmithing to do with making horseshoes, fitting them to hooves, trimming the hooves to fit the shoes. There are two main techniques, hot shoeing and cold shoeing, the former being done beside a forge. The shoes may be mild steel or aluminum in racing plates.

  • corrective h. — shoes custom made to correct some defect in the horse's gait or conformation.
Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'horseshoes'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to horseshoes, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Horseshoe.
Modern horseshoes are most commonly made of steel and nailed into the hoof wall.
A variety of horseshoes, including aluminium racing plates (light coloured) and shoes used on cattle in lower right.

A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toenail, though much larger and thicker. However, there are many cases where shoes are sometimes glued.

The fitting of horseshoes is a professional occupation, conducted by a farrier, who specializes in the preparation of feet, assessing potential lameness issues, and fitting appropriate shoes, including remedial features where required. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, horseshoeing is legally restricted to only people with specific qualifications and experience. In other nations, such as the United States, where professional licensing is not legally required, professional organizations provide certification programs that publicly identify qualified individuals.

Horseshoes are available in a wide variety of materials and styles, developed for different types of horse and for the work they do. The most common materials are steel and aluminum, but specialized shoes may include use of rubber, plastic, magnesium, titanium, or copper.[1] Steel tends to be preferred in sports where a strong, long-wearing shoe is needed, such as polo, eventing, show jumping, and western riding events. Aluminum shoes are lighter, making them common in horse racing, where a lighter shoe is desired; and often facilitate certain types of desired movement, and so are favored in the discipline of dressage.[2] Some horseshoes have "caulkins", "caulks", or "calks": protrusions at the toe and/or heels of the shoe, to provide additional traction.

When kept as a talisman, a horseshoe is said to bring good luck. Many believe that to hang it with the ends pointing upwards is good luck as it acts as a storage container of sorts for any good luck that happens to be floating by, whereas to hang it with the ends pointing down, is bad luck as all the good luck will fall out. Others believe that the shoe should be hung the other way, as it will then release its luck to the people around it.[3] A stylized variation of the horseshoe is used for a popular throwing game, horseshoes.

Contents

History

A hipposandal, a predecessor to the horseshoe

Since the early history of domestication of the horse, working animals were found to be exposed to many conditions that created breakage or excessive hoof wear. Ancient people recognized the need for the walls (and sometimes the sole) of domestic horses' hooves to have additional protection over and above any natural hardness. An early form of hoof protection was seen in ancient Asia, where horses' hooves were wrapped in rawhide, leather or other materials for both therapeutic purposes and protection from wear.[4]

The nailed shoe was a relatively late invention. The ancient Greek horse trainer Xenophon mentioned nothing about horseshoes in his treatise on the care of military cavalry, nor did the Digesta Artis Veterinariae by Vegetius Renatus, written in AD 480, mention nailed-on shoes, though he accurately enumerated everything connected with an army forge in the time. There are early literary references in the Koran, circa AD 632, to "war-horses… which strike fire, by dashing their hoofs against the stones…"[5] which, if taken literally, is an effect that would have been obtained by shod horses, as barefoot hooves striking stone do not create sparks.[6]

Because iron was a valuable commodity, and any worn out items were generally melted down and reused, it is difficult to locate clear archaeological evidence of the earliest horseshoes.[6] From archaeological finds in Great Britain, the Romans appeared to have attempted to protect their horses' feet with a strap-on, solid-bottomed "hipposandal" that has a slight resemblance to the modern hoof boot.[7]

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1911),

Though the ancients were sufficiently impressed by the damage done to horses' hoofs to devise certain forms of covering for them (in the shape of socks or sandals), the practice of nailing iron plates or rim-shoes to the hoof does not appear to have been introduced earlier than the 2nd century B.C., and was not commonly known till the close of the 5th century A.D., or in regular use till the middle ages. The evidence for the earlier date depends on the doubtful interpretations of designs on coins, &c.

There is very little evidence of nailed-on shoes prior to AD 500 or 600, though there is speculation that the Gauls were the first to nail on metal horseshoes.[8] The nailed iron horseshoe first appeared in the archaeological record in Europe about 5th century A.D. when a horseshoe, complete with nails, was found in the tomb of the Frankish King Childeric I at Tournai, Belgium.[9] The earliest clear written record of iron horseshoes is a reference to "crescent figured irons and their nails" in AD 910.

English horseshoes from the 11th to the 19th centuries

Around 1000 AD, cast bronze horseshoes with nail holes became common in Europe. Common was a design with a scalloped outer rim and six nail holes.[4] The 13th and 14th centuries brought the widespread manufacturing of iron horseshoes.[10] By the time of the Crusades (1096–1270), horseshoes were widespread and frequently mentioned in various written sources.[6] In that period, due to the value of iron, horseshoes were even accepted in lieu of coin to pay taxes.[4]

By the 13th century, shoes were forged in large quantities and could be bought ready-made.[4] Hot shoeing, the process of shaping a heated horseshoe immediately before placing it on the horse, became common in the 16th century.[10] From the need for horseshoes, the craft of blacksmithing became "one of the great staple crafts of medieval and modern times and contributed to the development of metallurgy.”[9] A treatise titled "No Foot, No Horse" was published in Great Britain in 1751.[4]

In 1835, the first U.S. patent for a horseshoe manufacturing machine capable of making up to 60 horseshoes per hour was issued to Henry Burden.[10]

In the mid 19th century Canada, marsh horseshoes kept horses from sinking into the soft intertidal mud during dike-building. In a common design, a metal horseshoe holds a flat wooden shoe in place. [11]

Reasons for use of horseshoes

A horseshoe maker/blacksmith in India.

Environmental changes linked to domestication

A hot horseshoe in a forge. The metal is softened so that it can be more precisely shaped to the horse's hoof.

Many changes brought about by domestication of the horse have led to a need for shoes for number of reasons. Overall in captivity, horses' hooves harden much less and are more vulnerable to injury. In the wild, a horse may travel up to 50 miles per day to obtain adequate forage. While horses in the wild covered large areas of terrain, they usually did so at relatively slow speeds, unless being chased by a predator.[4] They also tended to live in arid, steppe climates. The consequence of slow but nonstop travel in a dry climate is that horse's feet are naturally worn to a small, smooth, even and hard state. The continual stimulation of the sole of the foot keeps it thick and hard. However, in domestication, the ways horses are used differs from their natural environment. Domesticated horses were moved in large numbers from the arid steppes to colder and wetter areas. These softer and heavier soils soften the hooves and have made them prone to splitting, making hoof protection necessary.[4] Consequently, it was in northern Europe that the nailed horseshoe arose in its modern form.

Domesticated horses are also subject to inconsistent movement between stabling and work, they must carry or pull additional weight, and in modern times they are often kept and worked on very soft footing, such as irrigated land, arena footing, or stall bedding. In some cases, management is also inadequate. The hooves of horses that are kept in stalls or small turnouts, even when cleaned adequately, are still exposed to more moisture than would be encountered in the wild, as well as to ammonia from urine. The hoof capsule is mostly made from keratin, a protein, and is weakened by this exposure, becoming even more fragile and soft. Wearing shoes does not prevent or reduce damage from moisture and ammonia exposure. Rather, they protect already weakened hooves. Further, without the natural conditioning factors present in the wild, the feet of horses grow overly large and long unless trimmed regularly. Hence, protection from rocks, pebbles, and hard, uneven surfaces is lacking. A balanced diet with proper nutrition also is a factor. Without these precautions, cracks in overgrown and overly brittle hoof walls are a danger, as is bruising of the soft tissues within the foot because of inadequately thick and hard sole material.

Physical stresses requiring horseshoes

  • Abnormal stress: Horses' hooves can become quite worn out when subjected to the added weight and stress of a rider, pack load, cart, or wagon.[12]
These bar shoes are commonly used in corrective shoeing, to help support the heels.
  • Corrective shoeing: The shape, weight, and thickness of a horseshoe can significantly affect the horse's gait. Farriers may forge custom shoes to help horses with bone or musculature problems in their legs,[13] or fit commercially available remedial shoes.
  • Traction: Traction devices such as borium for ice, horse shoe studs for muddy or slick conditions, calks, carbide-tipped road nails and rims are useful for performance horses such as eventers, show jumpers, polo ponies, and other horses that perform at high speeds, over changing terrain, or in less-than-ideal footing.[1]
  • Gait manipulation: Some breeds such as the Saddlebred, Tennessee Walking Horse, and other gaited horses are judged on their high-stepping movement. Special shoeing can help enhance their natural movement.[1]
  • Racing horses with weakness in their foot or leg require specialized horseshoes. [14]

Horseshoeing theories and debates

Horseshoes have always been viewed as an aid to assist horses' hooves when subjected to the various unnatural conditions brought about by domestication, whether due to work conditions or stabling and management. Countless generations of domestic horses bred for size, color, speed, and many other traits with little regard for hoof quality and soundness make some breeds more dependent on horseshoes than feral horses such as mustangs, which develop strong hooves as a matter of natural selection.

A hoof boot can be used in place of a horseshoe or as a temporary substitute for a thrown shoe

Nonetheless, domestic horses do not always require shoes. There is near-universal agreement among farriers that when possible, a barefoot hoof, at least for part of every year, is a healthy option for most horses. However, other farriers are equally adamant that horseshoes have their place and can help prevent excess or abnormal hoof wear and injury to the foot. Many farriers agree that some horses may even be able to go without shoes year-round, using temporary protection such as hoof boots for short-term use.[8]

Recently, there has been a renewed debate over the traditional role of horseshoes. Observations of feral horses and barefoot domestic horses in natural boarding situations (including being kept on roomy pasture, not in stalls) have provided additional evidence that domesticated horses can grow hooves as healthy as those of feral horses and may not need shoes as often as many people think. Proponents of this idea, also known as the barefoot horse movement, argue that with proper care, horses may never need shoes at any time once they have been properly transitioned. Thus, the debate of when, where, why and whether to use horseshoes is a hot topic today.

Process of shoeing

Farrier tools
The shoe, showing a toe clip, has just had the nails driven in through the hoof. The farrier will then cut the nails, and bend the cut end over to form a clinch.

Shoeing, when performed correctly, causes no pain to the animal. Farriers trim the insensitive part of the hoof, which is the same area into which they drive the nails. This is analogous to a manicure on a human fingernail, only on a much larger scale.[1]

Before beginning to shoe, the farrier removes the old shoe using pincers (shoe pullers) and trims the hoof wall to the desired length with nippers, a sharp pliers-like tool, and the sole and frog of the hoof with a hoof knife. Shoes do not allow the hoof to wear down as it naturally would in the wild, and it can then become too long. The coffin bone inside the hoof should line up straight with both bones in the pastern. If the excess hoof is not trimmed, the bones will become misaligned, which would place stress on the legs of the animal.[15]

Shoes are then measured to the foot and bent to the correct shape using a hammer and anvil, and other modifications, such as taps for shoe studs, are added. Farriers may either cold shoe, in which he bends the metal shoe without heating it, or hot shoe, in which he places the metal in a forge before bending it. Hot shoeing can be more time-consuming, and requires the farrier to have access to a forge; however, it usually provides a better fit, as the mark made on the hoof from the hot shoe can show how even it lies. It also allows the farrier to make more modifications to the shoe, such as drawing toe- and quarter-clips. The farrier must take care not to hold the hot shoe against the hoof too long, as the heat can damage the hoof.[15]

Hot shoes are placed in water to cool them off. The farrier then nails the shoes on, by driving the nails into the hoof wall at the white line of the hoof. The nails are shaped in such a way that they bend outward as they are driven in, avoiding the sensitive inner part of the foot, so they emerge on the sides of the hoof. When the nail has been completely driven, the farrier cuts off the sharp points and uses a clincher (a form of tongs made especially for this purpose) or a clinching block with hammer to bend the rest of the nail so it is almost flush with the hoof wall. This prevents the nail from getting caught on anything, but also helps to hold the nail (and therefore the shoe) in place.[15]

The farrier then uses a rasp (large file), to smooth the edge where it meets the shoe and eliminate any sharp edges left from cutting off the nails.[15]

Shoeing mistakes

Mistakes are sometimes made by even a skilled farrier, especially if the horse does not stand still. This may sometimes result in a nail coming too close to the sensitive part of the hoof (putting pressure on it), or a nail that is driven slightly into the sensitive hoof, called "quicking" or nail pricking. This occurs when a nail penetrates the wall and hits the sensitive internal structures of the foot. Quicking results in bleeding and pain and the horse may show signs of lameness or may become lame in following days. Whenever it happens, the farrier must remove the offending nail. Usually a horse that is quicked will react immediately, though some cases where the nail is close to sensitive structures may not cause immediate problems. These mistakes are made occasionally by anyone who shoes horses, and in most cases is not an indication that the farrier is unskilled. It happens most commonly when horses move around while being shod, but also may occur if the hoof wall is particularly thin (common in Thoroughbreds), or if the hoof wall is brittle or damaged. It may also occur with an inexperienced or unskilled horseshoer who misdrives a nail, uses a shoe that is too small, or has not fitted the shoe to the shape of the horse's hoof. Occasionally, manufacturing defects in nails or shoes may also cause a misdriven nail that quicks a horse.

However, the term "farrier" implies a professional horseshoer with skill, education, and training. Some people who shoe horses are untrained or unskilled, and likely to do more harm than good for the horse. People who do not understand the horse's foot will not trim the hoof correctly. This can cause serious problems for the animal, resulting in chronic lameness and damage to the hoof wall. Poor trimming will usually place the hoof at an incorrect angle, leave the foot laterally unbalanced and may cut too much off certain areas of the hoof wall, or trim too much of the frog or sole. Some horseshoers will rasp the hoof down to fit an improperly shaped or too-small size of shoe, which is damaging to the movement of the horse and can damage the hoof itself if trimmed or rasped too short. A poor horseshoer can also make mistakes in the shoeing process itself, not only quicking a horse, but also putting shoe on crooked, using the wrong type of shoe for the job at hand, shaping the shoe improperly, or setting it on too far forward or back.

Folklore

The horseshoe is presented as a talisman in The True Legend of St. Dunstan and the Devil; Showing how the Horse-Shoe came to be a Charm against Witchcraft, written in 1871 by Edward G. Flight, with illustrations by George Cruikshank and engravings by John Thompson.

A horseshoe on a door is regarded a protective talisman in some cultures

Superstitious sailors believe nailing a horseshoe to the mast will help their vessel avoid storms.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Price, Steven D. (ed.) The Whole Horse Catalog: Revised and Updated New York:Fireside 1998 ISBN 0-684-83995-4 p. 84–87
  2. ^ Evans, J. Warren et al. The Horse Second Edition New York: Freeman 1990 ISBN 0-7167-1811-1 p. 731–739
  3. ^ "Luck and Horseshoes Webpage accessed 22 Aug. 20010". Indepthinfo.com. http://www.indepthinfo.com/horseshoes/luck.htm. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Cohen, Rachel. "The History of Horseshoes." EquiSearch. Web. 11 Nov. 2009". Equisearch.com. http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/hoof_care/eqhorsesho610/. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  5. ^ Quran sura 100, verse 1-2
  6. ^ a b c "Heymering, henry RJF, CJF. "Who Invented Horseshoeing?" Web page accessed November 18, 2007". Horseshoes.com. http://www.horseshoes.com/advice/invtshoe/winvhrs.htm. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  7. ^ "British Museum Website: hipposandal". http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_prb/i/iron_hipposandal.aspx. Retrieved 2007-08-23. 
  8. ^ a b McBane, Susan A Natural Approach to Horse Management London:Methuen 1992 ISBN 0-413-62370-X p. 57–60
  9. ^ a b "Horseshoe." Encyclopædia Britannica. 15th ed. Vol. 20. 2005. 651-51. Print.
  10. ^ a b c Mary Bellis (2010-06-16). "Bellis, Mary. "Horseshoes, Nails, Saddles, and Riding." About.com. Web. 11 Nov. 2009". Inventors.about.com. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blhorseshoe.htm. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  11. ^ Charlotte Gray 'The Museum Called Canada: 25 Rooms of Wonder' Random House, 2004
  12. ^ Ensminger, M. E. Horses and Horsemanship: Animal Agriculture Series. Sixth Edition. Interstate Publishers, 1990. ISBN 0-8134-2883-1 p. 367–371
  13. ^ Ensminger, M. E. Horses & Tack: A Complete One Volume Reference on Horses and Their Care Rev. ed. Boston:Houghton Mifflin Co. 1991 ISBN 0-395-54413-0 p. 267–269
  14. ^ ""Race Horses Require Shoes of Special Design and Weight" ''Popular Mechanics'', April 1936". Books.google.com. http://books.google.com/books?id=lNsDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA552&dq=Popular+Science+1936+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&hl=en&ei=YQxKTqCgIeSDsgK6xpzSCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Popular%20Science%201936%20plane%20%22Popular%20Mechanics%22&f=true. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  15. ^ a b c d Evans, J. Warren et al. The Horse Second Edition New York: Freeman 1990 ISBN 0-7167-1811-1 p. 742–747
  16. ^ Eyers, Jonathan (2011). Don't Shoot the Albatross!: Nautical Myths and Superstitions. A&C Black, London, UK. ISBN 978-1-4081-3131-2.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links


Translations:

Horseshoe

Top

Dansk (Danish)
n. - hestesko
v. tr. - beslå

Nederlands (Dutch)
hoefijzer, hoefijzervormig voorwerp

Français (French)
n. - fer à cheval
v. tr. - ferrer un cheval

Deutsch (German)
n. - Hufeisen, Hufeisenbogen
v. - Hufeisen..., hufeisenförmig

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - αλογοπέταλο

Italiano (Italian)
ferro di cavallo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - ferradura (f)

Русский (Russian)
подкова

Español (Spanish)
n. - herradura
v. tr. - herrar

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - hästsko

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
马蹄铁, 装蹄铁于

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 馬蹄鐵
v. tr. - 裝蹄鐵於

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 말굽, 편자모양의 것, 편자 던지기 놀이
v. tr. - 편자를 대다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 蹄鉄, 蹄鉄投げ遊び
adj. - 蹄鉄形の
v. - 蹄鉄を付ける, 蹄鉄形にする

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الحدوة نعل الحصان, الحدوات لعبه قوامها رمي حدوة بحيث تطوق مسمارا معدنيا مغروسا على مسافه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮פרסה, פרסת-ברזל‬
v. tr. - ‮פירזל‬


 
 

 

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