Forging Horseshoes.

Making horseshoes the traditional way with hammer and fire.

A hot horseshoe in a forge. The metal is softened so that it can be more precisely shaped to the horse’s hoof through the process of forging. Image by Steve Ford Elliott — Hot Shoe, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1310319. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Horseshoe are fabricated,
Designed to protect
horse’s hooves from wear,
Horseshoes attached on
ground side of hooves,
Usually nailed through
insensitive hoof wall,
Akin to human toenail
although much
larger and thicker.

Horseshoes available in
steel and aluminium,
Sometimes rubber
plastic magnesium
titanium or copper,
Horseshoes are said to
bring good luck.

Love working metal,
Even had a go
forging horseshoes,
Farrier friend took
one look at rather
botched shoe and
pointedly suggested to
find another hobby.

History and Techniques

Nailing on a horseshoe. By Alex brollo — Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=685585. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Ancient times,
Domesticated horses
exposed to many
conditions that
created breakage or
excessive hoof wear.

Away from humans
horse may forage
50 miles per day usually at
relatively slow speeds
unless being chased,
Tended to live in
arid steppe climates.

Slow but nonstop travel in
dry climate means
horses’ hooves are
naturally worn to
small and smooth
even and hard state,
Movement’s continual stimulation
keeps hooves thick and hard.