The History & Facts of Horse Shoeing

It is generally believed that the first tame horses were used to pull carts, utilizing their strength to improve working practices. Later, humans mounted and rode horses, using them for hunting, traveling and sport. People quickly discovered that a horse could travel further and work for longer if they protected the horse's hooves.

  1. Horse Shoes

    • In the beginning of the 21st century, farriers usually make horseshoes from steel, but they can also make them from plastic, rubber or aluminum. The farrier chooses the material for the shoe according to the work the horse will be doing. The shoe must fit the hoof correctly, so that the horse's weight is balanced and no injury can occur. The horseshoe prevents the hoof from wearing down because it stops the hoof from coming into contact with the ground.

    Protecting Hooves

    • Wild horses have always survived without shoes. They cross various terrain and run away from predators when needed. However, wild horses are not made to work for long periods or travel long distances like domestic horses have done for thousands of years. Their hooves are not so prone to wearing down. When wild horses have worn or damaged hooves, escaping from predators is far more difficult. Man therefore began to protect their horses' hooves as a way of increasing their productivity and lifespan, especially in the absence of modern day veterinarians.

    The Horseshoeing Process

    • A farrier attaches horseshoes to the bottom of a horses hoof by hammering nails through holes in the shoe, directly into the hoof. Some horseshoes are fixed on with glue. The farrier must prepare the hoof before the shoe is attached. It is trimmed and balanced and then the correct shoe chosen for the best fit. Occasionally a horse may become lame after shoeing, due to the nails being driving in too far; this is called "nail prick." Removing the shoe allows the horse to recover, usually quite quickly.

    Ancient Horseshoeing

    • Archaeological evidence suggests that horses were domesticated as early as 4000 BC. The Bible mentions a blacksmith by the name of Tubal-Cain, dated around 3500 BC. However, it cannot be proven that horseshoeing began at this time. Some historians believe that horseshoeing began around 500 BC, in the Druid era. Druids were accustomed to manipulating metal and were an intelligent and studied people. There is, however, a lack of hard evidence to support them as the inventors of horseshoes and horseshoeing -- partly due to their very secretive nature. The Koran in 610 AD speaks of war horses that create fire by walking on stones; this indicates the use of horseshoes. Uncertainty surrounds the invention of horseshoeing until the eighth century when folklore tales of Charlemagne immersed. He is said to have broken a horseshoe in half with his bare hands.

    Horseshoeing

    • Horseshoes were accepted as a form of payment in England in the 12th century, due to the high value of iron. Horseshoes at this time were believed to be lucky and have the ability to fend off evil spirits. This notion of the horseshoe being lucky still remains today. In the 13th and 14th centuries, horseshoes began to be produced on mass. A particular size could be purchased and used for a horse straight away. In 1800 a machine was invented that cast shoes more rapidly, providing large scale production of horseshoes. Farriers were numerous; these men, skilled at horseshoeing, could make a very good living. Over time, the role of horses began to be replaced by the use of steam and petrol driven transportation.