All About Horseshoes

Overview

A horseshoe is a U-shaped item made of metal or synthetic materials, nailed or glued to the hoof wall. Horseshoes protect feet from wear and tear.

The most common type of horseshoe used in polo is made of steel. Horseshoes are custom fitted to each horse to prevent soreness whenever wear exceeds normal foot growth. A farrier attaches horseshoes to the surface of the hoof by nailing through the hoof wall, which is similar to a human toenail.

Horseshoeing is not painful. A farrier trims the insensitive part of the hoof into which they attach nails that secure the shoe to the horse's foot.

History

The Romans protected their horses' feet with a solid bottomed leather strap sandal.

An iron horseshoe first appears in the archaeological record in Europe around the 5th century. A horseshoe, complete with nails, was found in Tournai, Belgium inside the tomb of Childeric the Frankish King.

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

Effect on Gait

The shape, weight, and thickness of a horseshoe will affect a horse's gait. Horseshoes can modify a horse's gait. By customizing the weight and length of the horseshoe, the way a horse's foot leaves the ground can be altered.

Farriers trained in hot shoeing make custom horseshoes to relieve bone, musculature, or nerve problems in the legs.

Traction devices like special nails, heel calks, toe calks, grabs, jar calks, swedges and bars can be added to a horseshoe to enhance traction.

Pads

A pad is a protective device attached between the horseshoe and foot. Pads are metal, leather or plastic.

A full pad covers the entire sole. A rim pad covers the area under the horseshoe. A wedge pad is thicker at the heel.

Packing is a medicated poultice placed between the pad and the horse's sole (foot) before the horseshoe is nailed on.

caulks

Caulks are protrusions at the toe or heel of a horseshoe. They provide additional traction:

• Heel caulks are downward projections of the horseshoe, located behind the heel nails.
• Toe caulks are protuberances placed ahead of the toe nails.
• Jar caulks are placed across the width of the ground surface (called the web) of the horseshoe.

grabs

A grab is welded to the toe of the horseshoe. It usually consists of a thin projection placed lengthwise, between the toenails. A grab is a kind of toe calk.

Swedges

A swedge is an indentation in the web of the horseshoe. A swedge fills with dirt as a horse moves and so it increases traction. On horseshoes fitted to polo ponies the swedge ridges are higher on the inside. The surface heights created by a swedge change the way a horse's foot leaves the ground (called a break over).

Bars

A bar is a narrow piece of metal welded across the quarters of the horseshoe to increase traction or break over on a horse.

Nails

Special types of horseshoe nails are used on traction devices. Most are large headed nails which protrude below the ground surface of the horseshoe. Mud and ice nails are very common.