Modern horseshoes are most commonly made of iron and nailed onto the hoof.

A horseshoe is a U-shaped piece of iron, rubber, plastic, rawhide or a laminate of these, nailed or glued to a horse's hoof and some other draught animals --like a shoe. They are used to protect the animal's hooves from wear and tear. Early horseshoes had "calkins" or protruding tabs at the ends of the shoe to provide additional traction (these are still used on some competition horses in sports like team penning). Kept as a talisman, horseshoes are said to bring luck. Horseshoes are also used for a popular game, horseshoes. Scanned Horseshoe. ... Scanned Horseshoe. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... Rubber is an elastic hydrocarbon polymer which occurs as a milky emulsion (known as latex) in the sap of a number of plants but can also be produced synthetically. ... Jump to: navigation, search Plastic is a term that covers a range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products. ... A laminate is a material constructed by uniting two or more layers of material together. ... ... Historically, glue only refers to protein colloid adhesives prepared from animal tissues, such as hide glue, bone glue, or fish glue. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The Horse (Equus caballus) is a sizeable ungulate mammal, one of the seven modern species of the genus Equus. ... A claw is a curved pointed growth found at the end of a toe or finger, or in arthropods, of the tarsus. ... A draught animal is a (semi-)domesticated animal used for transport and haulage (the heavy labour of pulling carts, hauling timber and ploughing fields are examples). ... Jump to: navigation, search Womens shoes on display in a shop window, July 2005 A shoe is an item of footwear. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Horseshoes is an outdoor game played between two people (or two teams of two people) using four horseshoes and two stakes. ...

The horseshoe seems to have been introduced to Western culture by the Greeks in the 4th Century. 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 some specialized shoes are made from magnesium, titanium or copper. Jump to: navigation, search The old steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... Jump to: navigation, search Plastic is a term that covers a range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products. ... General Name, Symbol, Number magnesium, Mg, 12 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 3, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 24. ... General Name, Symbol, Number titanium, Ti, 22 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 4, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Atomic mass 47. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ...

Reasons for use in domestic environment

Since the early history of the domestication and use of horses, many factors have contributed to the need for the bottoms of domestic horses's feet (hooves) to have additional protection over and above their natural hardness.

Less healthy food

Live grasses, weeds and shrubs, which are 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 horn, much as the human fingernail, and grows hard, tough and flexible only with optimal nutrition.

Less varied terrain

Horse shoes are not needed in nature as the horse walks and grazes continuously over a wide variety of surfaces. The consequence of this nonstop travel on the horse's feet is to keep them worn to a small, smooth, even and hard state. The continual stimulation and irritation of the sole of the foot keeps it thick and hard, much like a callus. However, in domestication, the customary amount of ground covered by a horse on a daily basis is greatly reduced. Therefore, the hooves harden much less and are more vulnerable to injury.

Added weight

Horses hooves can become quite worn out when subjected to the added weight/stress of a human, pack loads, cart or wagon traces.

Wetter climate

Horses have moved from the more arid steppes to the wetter climate of northern Europe. This wetter climate and heavy soils softened the hooves and made them prone to splitting, making hoof protection necessary, and consequently it was in northern Europe that the first practical horseshoe arose.

Exposure to ammonia

The hooves of horses that are kept in stalls or small turnouts are constantly exposed to ammonia from urine. The hoof capsule, which is made from protein, is weakened by this exposure. Wearing shoes does not prevent or reduce damage from ammonia exposure. Rather, they are meant to reduce wear on weakened hooves.

Consequences of less healthy hooves

In captivity, absent the natural conditioning factors present in the wild, the feet of horses grow overly large, long, fragile and soft. Hence, protection from rocks, pebbles and hard, uneven surfaces is lacking. Cracks in overgrown and overly brittle hoof walls are a constant danger, as is bruising of the soft tissues within the foot because of inadequately thick and hard sole material.

Corrective shoeing

The shape, weight, and thickness of a horseshoe can significantly affect the horse's gait. Farriers trained in hot shoeing can make custom shoes to help horses with bone or musculature problems in their legs.

Traction

Traction devices such as borium for ice, studs for muddy or slick conditions, calks, and rims are useful for preformance 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.

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.

Subfamilies There are 7 subfamilies: Subfamily Arundinoideae Subfamily Bambusoideae Subfamily Centothecoideae Subfamily Chloridoideae Subfamily Panicoideae Subfamily Pooideae Subfamily Stipoideae The true grasses are monocotyledonous plants (Class Liliopsida) in the Family Poaceae, also known as Gramineae. ... Dandelions, shown here in proliferation, are commonly thought of as weeds. ... A willow shrub A shrub or bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody plant, distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 6 m tall. ... Nutrients and the body A nutrient is any element or compound necessary for or contributing to an organisms metabolism, growth, or other functioning. ... Carotene is a terpene, an orange photosynthetic pigment, important for photosynthesis. ... This article discusses the anatomical nail. ... Grazing is the regular consumption of part of one organism without killing it by another organism. ... Dermatologically, a callus is an especially toughened area of skin, which has become relatively thick and hard (or callous) as a response to repeated contact or pressure. ... Domesticated animals, plants, and other organisms are those whose collective behavior, life cycle, or physiology has been altered as a result of their breeding and living conditions being under human control for multiple generations. ... Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ... A wagon (in old British English waggon) is a wheeled vehicle, ordinarily with four wheels, usually pulled by an animal such as a horse, mule or ox, which was used for transport of heavy goods in the past. ... A farrier is a specialist in horse care, especially shoeing. ... Borium is a generic name for tungsten carbide crystals embedded in a carrier material, usually used to provide traction for horses. ... Eventing, is an equestrian event which comprises dressage, cross-country and show-jumping. ... Show jumping is a form of competition in which horses are jumped over a course of fences, low walls, and other obstacles (e. ... Polo (also known as Cho-gan) is a team game played on a field with one goal for each team. ... The American saddlebred is a breed of horse that was developed in Kentucky by plantation owners. ... The Tennessee Walker, otherwise known as the Tennessee Walking Horse, Plantation Horse, and other variations upon these themes, is a singularly tractable and comfortable riding horse. ...

History

Earliest horseshoes

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. Alternative meanings: vehicle armour, Armor (novel) A hoplite wearing a helmet, a breastplate and greaves (and nothing else). ...

Metal horseshoes

Since then, metal (iron) horseshoes have been developed. These are nailed to the rim of the sole with nails which find a purchase in the hoof wall. Hot metal work from a blacksmith In chemistry, a metal (Greek: Metallon) is an element that readily forms ions (cations) and has metallic bonds, and metals are sometimes described as a lattice of positive ions (cations) in a cloud of electrons. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ...

These Roman villa horseshoes from about 294 CE challenge assumptions about horseshoe history.

There has been some debate about when metal horseshoes were first invented - some historians believe that horseshoes were invented during the Middle Ages, but the image on the right shows two of several horseshoes that were part of a much larger loot from a Roman villa, found in a river near Neupotz, Germany. They are dated to the year 294. (From Kuenzl, Ernst, Die Alamannenbeute aus dem Rhein bei Neupotz: Plünderungsgut aus dem römischen Gallien. Mainz 1993.) Ancient horseshoes from Neupotz This work is copyrighted. ... The Roman Empire contained many villas which were rather like country houses, though suburban villas on the edge of cities were known, such as the Middle and Late Republican villas that encroached on the Campus Martius, then on the edge of Rome. ... Events Tuoba Lu Guan succeeds Tuoba Fu as chieftain of the Chinese Tuoba tribe. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Roman Empire contained many villas which were rather like country houses, though suburban villas on the edge of cities were known, such as the Middle and Late Republican villas that encroached on the Campus Martius, then on the edge of Rome. ... Events Tuoba Lu Guan succeeds Tuoba Fu as chieftain of the Chinese Tuoba tribe. ...

For luck

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

Horseshoes are considered the most universal of all the good luck charms ^{Citation needed}. A common tradition is that if a horseshoe is hung on a door with the two ends pointing up (as shown here) 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 ^{Citation needed}, 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), found (not purchased), and can be touched. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (973x1207, 802 KB) Horseshoe nailed to door for good luck Photo taken by Man vyi with Canon PowerShot A40 on 26/6/2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Horseshoe ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (973x1207, 802 KB) Horseshoe nailed to door for good luck Photo taken by Man vyi with Canon PowerShot A40 on 26/6/2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Horseshoe ... An amulet from the Black Pullet grimoire An amulet (from Latin amuletum, meaning A means of protection) or a talisman (from Arabic tilasm, ultimately from Greek telesma or from the Greek word talein wich means to initiate into the mysteries. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

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.

More generally, it is related ^{Citation needed} that Saint Dunstan, a blacksmith by trade, who became the Archbishop of Canterbury in AD 959. He nailed a horseshoe to the Devil's hoof when he was asked to reshod the Devil's horse. The Devil was only allowed to go once he had promised never to enter a place where a horseshoe is over the door. This is claimed as the origin of the lucky horseshoe. Dunstan is also a village in Northumberland, and a lake in New Zealand Dunstan shoeing the Devils hoof, as illustrated by George Cruikshank Dunstan (909–May 19, 988) was an Archbishop of Canterbury (961–980) who was later canonized as a saint. ...

For centuries people have held the horseshoe in high esteem. At first, it was placed above a door frame with pointed ends up, "lest the luck would drain out". Later ^{Citation needed}it was moved midway down the door, serving the dual function of a talisman and door knockers.

See also

• Farrier

A farrier is a specialist in horse care, especially shoeing. ...

External links

• Historical development of the horseshoe 1891 Scientific American article from Project Gutenberg

• Lucky Mojo web site