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To fit with horseshoes.
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
Forging
Finishing operations
Packaging
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.
Bibliography
The full bibliography list is available here.
Name formerly given to the sign for the truth-function of material implication, which in some systems is written p ⊃ q.
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.
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.
A physicist visits a colleague and notices a horseshoe hanging on the wall above the entrance.
— Niels Bohr (1885-1962)
A horseshoe is a "U"-shaped item made of steel, aluminium, rubber, plastic, rawhide or a laminate of these, nailed or glued to the hooves of horses and some other draught animals. Like a shoe on a human, it is used to protect the animal's feet from wear and tear.
Some horseshoes have "calkins", "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. A stylized variation of the horseshoe is used for a popular throwing game, horseshoes.
Horseshoes are available in a wide variety of materials and styles, developed for different types of horses and the work they do. Common materials are steel, aluminum and plastic, and specialized shoes may include use of magnesium, titanium or copper.
Since the early history of domestication of the horse, many factors have contributed to the need for the walls (and sometimes the sole) of domestic horses' hooves to have additional protection over and above their natural hardness.
Live grasses eaten in the wild are high in nutrients such as beta carotene. Cultivated feeds lose a high proportion of their carotene within hours of harvesting and so do not provide this vital ingredient to the horse. The hoof is made of keratin, much as the human fingernail, and grows hard, tough, and flexible only with optimal nutrition.
Furthermore, domestic horses are often fed grains and other concentrates as well as alfalfa and lush pasture, all of which can, in improper amounts, lead to laminitis, inflammation of the laminar attachments of the foot which holds the hoof wall onto the underlying coffin bone. An unhealthy or imbalanced diet that leads to active or even sub-clinical laminitis can contribute to weak feet because the horn is attached to the coffin bone by only a weak attachment.
Many changes brought about by domestication of the horse have led to weakened feet and a need for shoes, including:
Horse owners have sought to remedy the problems shown above with supplemental support and armor, beginning in the earliest days with rawhide boots which could be tied onto the hoof. The horseshoe might have been introduced to Western culture by the Greeks in the 4th Century B.C.[citation needed] However, Xenophon mentions nothing about horseshoes in his treatise on the care of military cavalry, and so this may be speculation. Due to archaeological finds in Britain, we know that the Roman army, in a design reminiscent of sandals worn by legionaries, created hipposandals, a type of solid-bottomed iron horseshoe.[1] Metal horse shoes do not appear to have been commonly used until the Middle Ages.
Farriers nail them to solar surface of the hoof with nails which find a purchase in the horny (insensitive) wall. Modern horseshoes are usually made of either steel or aluminium. Steel tends to be preferred in sports where a strong, long-wearing shoe is needed, such as polo, eventing, show jumping, and western events. Aluminum shoes are lighter, and often facilitate "prettier" movement, and so are favored in the sports of dressage, hunt seat, and are also seen in racing, where a lighter shoe is desired.
Horseshoes have always been viewed, even by professional farriers, 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.
Nonetheless, domestic horses do not always require shoes. There is near-universal agreement among professionals that when possible, a barefoot hoof, at least for part of every year, is a healthy option for most horses. Farriers usually 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. However, farriers are equally adamant that horseshoes have their place and can help prevent excess or abnormal hoof wear and injury to the foot.
However, 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. A controversial offshoot from this study is the barefoot horse movement, which passionately argues that with proper care, horses never need shoes at any time once they have been transitioned into proper management. Thus, the debate of when, where, why and if to use horseshoes is a hot topic today.
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
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 plier-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.
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.
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 that 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.
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.
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 (quicking or pricking). The horse may show signs of being lame (this is commonly seen if the horse is pricked), or may become lame in following days. In this case, the farrier must return to remove the offending nail. These mistakes are made occasionally by anyone who shoes horses, and are generally not an indication that the farrier is unskilled.
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. Incompetent horseshoers are not true farriers. 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 a plethora of 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.
Horseshoes are considered a good luck charm in many cultures. The shape, fabrication, placement, and manner of sourcing are all important. A common tradition is that if a horseshoe is hung on a door with the two ends pointing up then good luck will occur. However, if the two ends point downwards then bad luck will occur. Traditions do differ on this point, though. In some cultures, the horseshoe is hung points down (so the luck pours onto you); in others, it is hung points up (so the luck doesn't fall out); still in others it doesn't matter so long as the horseshoe has been used (not new), was found (not purchased), and can be touched. In all traditions, luck is contained in the shoe and can pour out through the ends.
In some traditions, any good or bad luck achieved will only occur to the owner of the horseshoe, not the person who hangs it up. Therefore, if the horseshoe was stolen, borrowed or even just found then the owner, not the person who found or stole the horseshoe will get any good or bad luck. Other traditions require that the horseshoe be found to be effective.
One reputed origin of the tradition of lucky horseshoes is the story of Saint Dunstan and the Devil. Dunstan, who would become the Archbishop of Canterbury in AD 959, was a blacksmith by trade. The story relates that he once nailed a horseshoe to the Devil's hoof when he was asked to reshoe the Devil's horse. This caused the Devil great pain, and Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe and release the Devil after the Devil promised never to enter a place where a horseshoe is hung over the door.
Also some believe that if guests come to a house where a horseshoe is above the door. If they enter through that door they must leave the same way or they will take the luck from the horseshoe with them from your house.
Another theory concerning the placing of horseshoes above doorways is to ward off Faeries (the Celtic kind); the theory being that Faeries are repelled by iron and as horseshoes were an easily available source of iron, they could be nailed above a door to prevent any unwanted, otherworldly guests. One can see how the custom, as people began to forget the stories concerning the Fair Folk, eventually morphed into a simple good luck charm. It is also possible that the Romans, when arriving in Celtic countries, came across horseshoes nailed above doors and simply borrowed the concept of horseshoes as good luck charms, failing to understand the background of the Celtic custom, and made their use more widespread.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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)
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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