A well-shod horse is a happy horse. How are horseshoes attached to hooves? What are the beliefs about the found horseshoe: folk signs

The modern way of life has significantly moved us away from traditional forms of farming. Sometimes we cannot understand elementary questions, the answers to which were quite obvious for our predecessors. One of these - why are horses shod? In the wild, horses do just fine without horseshoes and do not suffer from it. To answer this question, we need to look at history.

In the wild, horses don't really need special care. The horse's hoof is designed so that its hard tissue is capable of regeneration. Wearing out during daily movement, it is slowly restored, which provides reliable protection for the horse's legs. Soft ground, grass and the ability to choose the route of movement provide wild horses with the opportunity to comfortably exist without special care throughout their lives. This means that special protection of the hooves in natural conditions is not needed.

But by domesticating horses, man made his own adjustments to the conditions of their life. The unnatural habitat and the lack of the need to forage for food on their own have significantly affected the health of herbivores. In addition, now the mustang has become the main assistant in the transfer of goods, and the route of its movement passed not on soft grassy surfaces, but on the dirt roads. Too slow regeneration of the hard tissue of the hooves led to the fact that the trotters began to limp, and sometimes refused to move at all, because any movement brought them pain.

It became absolutely obvious that the horses needed help. That is why a person was forced to come up with a special protection for the legs of his beloved assistant, consisting of horseshoes. They protect the horse's hooves and keep wear to a minimum.

History of the horseshoe

The superiority of Asians in the invention of "shoes" for horses is generally recognized. Of course, it did not look like modern horseshoes at all, because it was made long before the beginning of our era. The first horseshoes looked like leather or cane shoes, which were attached to the horse's foot with the help of special belts and ropes. Such shoes were very short-lived and could not fully solve the problem of protecting horses' hooves. It needed a constant change, which made everyday life much more difficult.

Around the 2nd century BC iron horseshoes appeared, which were attached to the hoof with nails, but they were also imperfect and often injured the animal. Their forging had many difficulties, and eventually lost its relevance. The role of the horse has changed, and the task of becoming a faithful assistant to man in battle has fallen on her shoulders. At the same time, the rider's ammunition became heavier and heavier. Consequently, the load on the legs increased many times and the hooves wore out even faster.

5th century AD e. brought the horse an important gift: a horseshoe was invented, most similar to the modern one. She took into account the device of the hoof and was as close as possible to its shape, her forging was significantly improved. Such a horseshoe became widespread in the Middle Ages.

Residents of all countries whose lands were ever part of the Russian Empire owe the traditions of horseshoeing to Peter I. It was he who issued a decree in 1715, according to which blacksmith teachers were invited from Europe, who were supposed to teach local residents all the subtleties of their skills. Since that time, a shod horse has become an everyday occurrence in our territory, and forging a good horseshoe has become a special art. So how to shoe a horse correctly? Let's figure it out further.

Horseshoes today: a variety of varieties

What a horseshoe is, its varieties and types can have significant differences. The modern world is making adjustments in many areas of life for both humanity and animals.

As early as the beginning of the 20th century, people used horses as combat comrades-in-arms, and our contemporaries still find German samples of horseshoes of animals that were in the cavalry of the advancing troops. But today, these majestic representatives of the world of fauna realize other tasks: they perform the role of police officers, athletes, circus workers and much more. Depending on the situation, the owners of the horses choose the type of horseshoe. The modern choice of horseshoes is quite wide, their forging, manufacturing principles have changed, and depending on the criteria, they can be divided into certain groups.

By material:

aluminum;
plastic;
iron;
rubber.

By appointment:

orthopedic;
sports;
winter;

If the stallion is being prepared for sports competitions, then the owner chooses horseshoes for him from a special light alloy of steel. It will reliably protect the Mustang's hooves from damage, while not weighing down the instep. The weight of such a horseshoe varies between 120-200 g.

A horse that will have to face winter conditions: ice, snow, etc. will be shod with a special kind of “shoes”. Winter horseshoes are equipped with a set of spikes that increase the level of grip on the road surface and prevent slipping.

An animal that has injured its leg in any way must be shod with an orthopedic horseshoe. It has a closed shape and, depending on its type, can correct the set of the hoof, distribute the horse's body weight on the hoof, or correct its movements.

Types of horseshoes, depending on the material, also have a wide variety. Aluminum horseshoes are most often used on racetracks for trotters or racehorses.
Rubber ones are more suitable for individuals who work at the rental, as they cause minimal damage to asphalt and paths in parks and squares.
Plastic horseshoes make it possible not to fasten them with nails, but simply to glue them to the herbivore's hoof, so they are often used in pets with problem hooves.

Features of horseshoeing

It is quite natural that every caring owner thinks about how to shoe his horse. At the same time, he is also concerned about another question: “Does the horse hurt?”. But there is no reason to worry, because fixing a horseshoe with nails in the hands of a skilled blacksmith touches only the keratinized part of the hoof, and there are no nerve endings in this part of the limb.

So, who can shoe a faithful horse? The answer is obvious - you should not do it yourself. It is better to contact a specialist who knows all the intricacies of the process.

First of all, you need to choose the right type of "shoes". Its forging can be carried out both by the master himself and by the factory method.

Horseshoes for adult horses exist in 13 standard sizes. If the model and size are already selected, then you can proceed to action. Numerous photos on the Internet can illustrate the whole process in detail in stages.

First of all, the blacksmith must securely fasten the pet's leg, and then proceed to clean the hoof from sawdust and other contaminants. The wild disposition of some individuals manifests itself already at this stage, so if necessary, the master can use a light drug.
The cleaning process itself is carried out using a special hook. It is always in the farrier's arsenal and is stored in the same place as the rest of the master's tools - in a special suitcase along with a rasp, various types of hoof knives, tongs, nails and other things.
When the hoof is cleared of impurities, the blacksmith, using tongs, tears off the old horseshoe and proceeds to polishing the hoof itself: it cuts off the overgrown layer of keratinized tissue and extra pieces of the frog.
A high-quality horseshoe is tried on to the prepared hoof and, if the situation requires it, is adjusted by the blacksmith to the size of the hoof of a particular individual.
The horseshoe is fastened with nails, the sharp end of which, after fixing the horseshoe, is visible from the outside of the hoof. Their forger bends a little later and removes with special tools.
At the final stage, the horseshoe toe is fitted to the hoof, the edges of the hoof and the horseshoe are compared with a rasp, after which the horse can boast of a new set of shoes!

It is very difficult to say how long the whole process takes, since each case is strictly individual. This requires special skill of a specialist, because shoeing is hard physical labor, not everyone can do it. Having dealt with the question of why horseshoes are needed, you can safely proceed to the procedure.

In order to protect the horse's hooves from possible damage and injury, forging is necessary. That is why it is important for breeders of these animals to know how to shoe a horse, how to choose the right horseshoe and what tools to use. All this will be discussed in our article.

Such a responsible procedure as shoeing horses must certainly be carried out by a blacksmith who has sufficient experience in this matter, knows veterinary orthopedics well and knows how to handle a horse. It should be remembered that during the year the hooves still need a little rest, and your animal will need to be allowed to be without shoes for about a month or a little more.

Forging sets itself the following tasks:

To protect the hooves from inevitable wear and damage due to the movement of the animal on sufficiently hard ground.
To prevent injury to too vulnerable parts of the hoof, which are in a special horn capsule.
To enable the animal to maintain balance on slippery sections of the road, as well as when jumping.

Shoeing horses also has purposes related to orthopedics, namely, it allows you to reduce the harm from injuries if the horse still could not avoid them, helps to minimize the impact on the body of other troubles, and also eliminate defects that have appeared in the hoof. Thus, shoeing horses is a rather responsible event, for which the owner needs to invite a specialist. If the forging of horses is done incorrectly, then the animal may become disabled, even acquire undesirable health consequences.

Shoeing horses, as a method of protecting limbs from unwanted mechanical damage, is not only the responsibility of professional blacksmiths, but also zooengineers, managers of stud farms, as well as everyone who works on collective farm horse farms and hippodromes. Forging horses helps to provide reliable protection for the hooves of working, sports, riding, trotting horses.

Horseshoe selection

Forging horses always takes place with an eye to the areas in which the animal will be used. For example, riding horses are shod on the front limbs with special light horseshoes, and draft horses are shod on all hooves in the winter season, and only on the front ones in summer. Forging horses, which are used on hippodromes, takes place on all hooves. It is important to choose the right horseshoe, so that later you do not have problems for either the animal itself or its owner. Good specimens should be made of high quality durable steel, the blacksmith should, when forging horses, fit the horseshoes well to the hooves. To perform the horse forging procedure, you must have tools such as a forging hammer, tongs, billhook, trimming, notched rasp, spike key, paw, special nails (which are also called hacks), and the horseshoes themselves.

There are several types of horseshoes for forging horses - standard (consist of an inner and outer part, top and bottom, lapels, holes for nails and tracks), for racehorses (made manually and individually for each animal from spring steel), for dressage (used thin and light, the thickness of the horseshoe should not be more than a hoof), for equestrian games (selected taking into account weather conditions, in warm weather a horse can be shoed with a weighted product, and in wet weather - with special coal horseshoes), for trotters (lightweight horseshoes of different weights) , orthopedic ones are selected only as prescribed by a veterinarian with certain medical indicators).

Horseshoes are made for forging horses in several ways - industrially, that is, they are stamped in factories or made by hand in a forge. Standard samples are produced in eight sizes, starting from number 1 (the smallest size) to number 8. Each copy must be marked with a “p” or “z” indicator, depending on whether the horseshoe is intended for the front or hind limb. And on the bottom of the product, manufacturers put their own trademark. If horseshoes No. 1 and 2 according to GOST have eight holes for nails, then in copies 3 and 4 there are already one more, and in No. 5-8 as many as twelve.

If we talk about weight, then it ranges from 200 to 720 grams. Included with the horseshoes are always special removable summer and winter spikes. Thus, the farrier needs to know how to shoe a horse and what shoes should be used for the hooves of various animal species depending on their application.

Forging instructions

Many owners, of course, are concerned about an important question - how to shoe a horse? First of all, such a procedure involves competent processing of hooves, so that subsequently the animal does not hurt.

Some people think that the animal experiences discomfort during forging, but this is not true, since the nails enter the horny layer of the hoof. So, how to shoe a horse? The hooves must be washed and cleaned, after which the animal is brought to a special machine. A step-by-step instruction on how to shoe a horse looks like this:

Video "Clearing and shoeing"

In this video you can watch the process of clearing and forging the horse's hooves.

Featured Articles

Overview of Equine Diseases and Methods of Treatment and Prevention

Some equine diseases are rare, others more common. Some will only cause discomfort, others can cause a massive death. Learn more about treatment in this article.

Not every one of us knows why a horse is shod, because in the wild animals do just fine without it. So why are horses shod?

Horses were originally wild animals. They moved on grass and soft ground, and the speed of hoof regeneration was sufficient for a lifestyle that did not involve unnecessary stress, which ensured a comfortable existence without human intervention. But after domestication, the animal had to work in conditions that were unnatural for him, for example, in cities. The hooves of the horses began to wear out much faster, without having time to grow, and a long stay in the stalls made the animal's hooves softer and more pliable.

As The hoof plays a huge role in a horse's life., then a damaged one leads to a decrease in the efficiency of the animal and causes him pain, moreover, it can lead to serious problems associated with full-fledged movement. In addition to protecting the hoof, a horseshoe helps the animal not to slip on a wet surface and makes it more comfortable for horses with leg injuries.

The history of the invention of "horse shoes" goes back to the distant III century. It seems that the horseshoe is very simple in its design, but meanwhile many inventions have been created to protect the horse's hoof, the original appearance of which did not even remotely resemble the devices we use today. They looked like shoes made of leather or cane. And only in the 5th century did the first prototypes of the horseshoes used today appear.

Before answering the question of how a horse is shod, you need to find out what types of horseshoes exist. All of them are intended for use in various areas of activity of the horse. Their choice also depends on the breed of the animal and the condition of its hooves.

By appointment, horseshoes are divided into several groups:

sports
winter
orthopedic
standard

For a stallion preparing for a competition, they choose sports, made of light alloy steel, which are almost weightless. The weight of these horseshoes is approximately 120–200 grams. They are reliable protect the hoof forged animal from damage without weighing it down.

Winter horseshoes are indispensable in the cold season and are designed for racing in adverse conditions. They are equipped with a series of studs that help to increase the stability of the horse and prevent the animal from sliding on ice.

An animal with an injured leg must be shod with special orthopedic horseshoes, which are selected according to the type of injury and the individual shape of the hoof. Their task is to reduce discomfort when walking and promote rapid healing. And they are also used in cases where it is necessary to correct the position of the horse's legs.

The width of a standard horseshoe is 22mm and the height is 8mm. It should be noted that the upper part must be perfectly flat, and the lower part can be equipped with spikes, have both a flat and semicircular shape.

The materials from which modern horseshoes are made are also varied.

rubber
iron
plastic
aluminum

Rubber are used for horses working at the rental, because they cause the least harm to paths in parks and alleys.

Plastic is used by animals that have problems with hooves. They are convenient to use, because it is enough just to stick them to the horse's leg without injuring it.

Aluminum horseshoes are used for horses participating in races.

Many owners ask the question: “Does the horse hurt when it is shod?”. Therefore, it is important to note that owners should not worry about their pets, because forging does not cause pain or discomfort to the animal.

If we talk about how often horses should be shod, then usually the process repeat after 30-40 days, but it all depends on where and under what conditions the animal works, because on stony soils and under heavy loads, the hooves wear out much faster.

Horse shoeing is an art and one should turn to a blacksmith, a man who knows his business, so as not to harm the animal.

The forging process uses the following tools and materials:

trim
uhnal
rasp
hoof knife
forging hammer
horseshoe nails
forging tongs
punch
edge cutters
lamb curling tongs
punch for nails
horseshoe

Forging nails are made of steel and come in six numbers, 4–9.

Before starting the forging process, the blacksmith should establish a trusting relationship with the animal. To do this, the master lightly taps the horse's hoof, imitating forging. After the animal gets used to loud sounds and new sensations, you can safely get down to business.

It is performed in several stages:

The animal must be taken to a level area, it must be examined in absolute calmness
Remove the old horseshoe. With light movements with a hammer on the heads of nails, the master weakens their connection with the horseshoe, then removes lamb.
Clear hooves. The cleaning process is carried out using a special hook.
Take measurements for forging horseshoes

There are 13 standard horseshoes for horses, and if the model and size are already chosen, then the blacksmith begins to do the main part of the work - shoeing the horse.

After removing various kinds of contaminants, the blacksmith polishes the hoof and removes keratinized tissues.
The horseshoe is being adjusted. There are two fitting methods: cold and hot. The former is less disturbing to the horse, but since hot is more accurate, it is used more often.
The new horseshoe is fastened with special nails called snatched away. They are visible after the process is completed on the outside of the hoof. After all the nails have been attached, the master cuts them off with special pliers.

After the end of the process, the forged horse must be inspected. In order to understand whether the animal is comfortable with new horseshoes, you should let it go first at a walk, then at a trot. A forged animal must run smoothly, without stumbling. If it becomes noticeable that the shoeing of the horse is defective, they are immediately eliminated.

It must be understood that shod horses are by no means a luxury, but a necessary condition for the comfortable existence of an animal on which the owners not worth saving!

Attention, only TODAY!

Shoeing horses has been practiced for a long time, and the first primitive horseshoes appeared around the 3rd-4th century AD. Prior to this, the hooves of animals were protected with devices made of plant fibers and leather belts, which gave a very dubious result. With the development of horse breeding, forging became widespread, and the craftsmen who did it enjoyed well-deserved respect. Now there are many types of horseshoes, and the choice depends on the area of \u200b\u200buse of horses, breed, condition of hooves and other factors. But why shoe horses if in nature they do just fine without it?

Horse hooves are strong enough to protect the legs of animals in virgin lands. But wild horses run without loads, choosing their own way and bypassing sharp stones and other obstacles. In addition, a free lifestyle and high activity help strengthen the stratum corneum. Stabled horses have very different conditions. Limited walking reduces the physical activity of the body, due to which the hooves lose their density and are more easily amenable to erasure. They have to run not only on the ground, but also on asphalt, paving stones, other hard surfaces, and even with ballast. All this leads to the fact that the hoof horn is erased much faster than it grows back.

Why are worn hooves dangerous? The thin stratum corneum is easily pierced by sharp stones, cracks, and dirt fills through the cracks and pathogens penetrate. From this, the tissues become inflamed, the horse experiences pain when walking, begins to limp, and then refuses to move at all. Horseshoes provide protection against such injuries, performing the same functions as shoes for humans. High-quality, correctly stuffed horseshoes allow the animal to easily ride on the hardest roads without any consequences for the hooves.

In addition to the protective function, horseshoes help the animal not to slip on wet grass or icy roads, correct deformed hooves, and reduce walking discomfort in horses with leg injuries. In sports breeds, they improve the quality of the ride and make it easier to overcome obstacles. In each case, different types of horseshoes are used.

Modern horseshoes differ in shape, material of manufacture, thickness and other parameters, depending on the purpose. Simple products are made of steel with a low carbon content, which can be adjusted not only in the hot state, but also without heating. Rounded horseshoes are used for the forelimbs, slightly elongated for the hind limbs, due to the natural configuration of the hoof horn.

A simple horseshoe is a curved plate with holes, and each element of this plate has its own name:

branches - parts of the canvas from the toe to the heel. There are internal and external branches;
upper surface - a plane adjacent to the hoof;
lower (outer) surface - a plane in contact with the ground;
hook (lapel) - a small vertical protrusion in front of the canvas;
nail path;
inner and outer side edges;
holes for spikes;
nail holes;
heel - rounded end of the branch;
spikes - devices that improve the grip of horseshoes with the ground surface. They are installed if necessary, for example, in ice or for racing on frozen grass.

In general, the canvas is conditionally divided into three parts - toe, side, back. The surface adjacent to the horn is also divided into two zones, external and internal. The outer one is larger in area, as it is a support for the hoof, and it should be perfectly flat. If the branches of the horseshoe are in different planes or have irregularities, the canvas will not be able to fit snugly against the hoof, the load will be distributed unevenly, and the stratum corneum will be deformed.

Horseshoe - photo

The lower surface is also horizontal, but not solid: the outer edge has a longitudinal recess, which is called a nail track. Thanks to this path, the heads of the nails with which the horseshoe is nailed do not protrude, which means they are less susceptible to abrasion. Nails are not hammered in the toe and heel area, so there are no notches there. Holes for nails, or rather their location and contours, directly affect the quality of forging and its safety for the animal. If the holes are not made correctly, the tissues under the cornea are injured when the nails are driven in. The number of nail holes is 6, 8 and 12, depending on the size of the horseshoe. On the front horseshoes, they are located closer to the toe, on the back they are shifted towards the heel. The size and shape of the holes must be identical to the neck of the nail.

The thickness of the canvas for a horseshoe of medium size is 8 mm, width - 22 mm. In total, there are 13 sizes of horseshoes, and each of them corresponds to certain parameters of the product: the size of the branches, the width between the heels and in the widest part, weight, thickness and other indicators. They are sold in pairs, for hind and front hooves.

Varieties of horseshoes

All horseshoes are divided into three main types - standard, sports, orthopedic. Additionally, each of them also has its own modifications that strictly correspond to a specific purpose.

Type of horseshoe	Characteristics
	Used for working horses. The mass of horseshoes varies from 200 to 720 g, depending on the size. Products are equipped with removable spikes - summer ones have a rounded blunt shape and a small height, winter ones are sharp and longer. Distinguish between factory-made and hand-made horseshoes made by skilled blacksmiths
	Used for sports breeds of horses participating in races, show jumping, all-around. The material of manufacture is aluminum, spring steel and some other alloys, which are characterized by low weight and strength. Horseshoes of different shape and weight are used for each type of competition. For example, for racing, these are lightweight products weighing no more than 120 g, for all-around - with thickenings and a side on the lower plane, weighing from 180 to 200 g
	They are made of steel, plastic and aluminum, have differences in design. The shape of the horseshoe is selected individually depending on the type of injury and the condition of the hoof horn. Such products contribute to the healing of hooves, reduce pain when walking, align movement

The most modern horseshoes differ markedly from those described above in their design. In appearance, they resemble sandals with straps and spring fasteners, and are made of special plastic. They are not nailed, but are fixed on the hoof with these straps, which allows you to change the horseshoes in a matter of minutes. Of course, the cost of such products is quite high, so not every horse owner can afford them.

There are cheaper options: they are also made of plastic, but they have a simpler device and are more similar in shape to standard horseshoes. Depending on the design, they are attached either with nails (only smaller), or with a special glue.

What tools will be needed

To nail horseshoes, you need the following tools:

special pincers;
hook;
rasp with two types of notches;
trimming;
a knife with a curved end (hoofed);
a hammer;
key.

The fastening of the horseshoe is carried out with special nails - hacks, which differ in the shape of the head and pin. Ukhnali are produced in lengths from 45 to 70 mm, and according to GOST they are divided into six sizes. They are used only once, they are not suitable for reuse. Additionally, in the process of work, you may need a forging machine - it is used in cases where the animal is too shy or impatient.

How is forging done

The frequency of forging depends on the loads to which the animals succumb and the rate of regrowth of the hoof horn. On average, this procedure is performed once a month, although sport horses have to change horseshoes more often. Animals involved in barrier and smooth races, in riding schools, most often put horseshoes only on the front limbs, for show jumping and all-around it is necessary to shoe all four. If the horse is kept in a home stable, it is rarely released on a hard road, there is no need for horseshoes at all.

Proper forging is carried out in stages:

worn horseshoes are removed;
hooves are cleaned of dirt and debris;
measurements are taken;
horseshoes are adjusted and fastened.

Such work requires a lot of patience, resourcefulness and physical strength, because it is not at all easy to cope with a large and mobile animal. Sometimes young and obstinate horses do not allow forging, they strive to hit or bite the master. In these cases, the process is extended: on the first day, the blacksmith only lifts the animal's legs one by one and knocks on the hooves with a hammer. The next day, one and two legs are shod, on the third day, the rest. During this time, the horse gets used to the master and better tolerates forging. Now let's look at the execution process in more detail.

Step 1. They raise the horse's leg and clean out the rubbish that has accumulated in the horseshoe with a hook. It is not necessary to thoroughly clean it yet, the main thing is to clean it around the edges so that it is convenient to pick up a horseshoe.

Step 2 They take the tongs, grab the edge of the old horseshoe with them and tear them off with a sharp movement along with the nails.

Step 3 Now everything that is stuffed into the hoof is well cleaned out, with the help of a hoof knife, the overgrown stratum corneum is removed over the entire surface.

Step 4 Rasp grind the entire surface and especially the edges of the hoof. The treated area should be completely flat so that the horseshoe lies flat and tight.

Step 5 Having completed with one hoof, all the others are treated in the same way.

Step 6 A new horseshoe is applied to the prepared hoof and measurements are taken, that is, they outline how much the product needs to be adjusted. Adjustment is performed with a hammer on a metal anvil.

Step 7 Once again they try on a horseshoe, and if everything is fine, they begin to nail it. The first uhnal is hammered into the first hook hole, the second - on the opposite side, and all the other nails go in this order. Ukhnali are hammered strictly perpendicular to the plane of the horseshoe, so their tips crawl out of the hoof horn. For the animal, this does not create any discomfort - there are no nerve endings in the cornea, which means that pain does not occur.

Step 8 The protruding ends of the hooks are bent with a hammer to the lower edge of the hooves, then the toe is adjusted closely. After that, the horseshoe should sit firmly on the leg and move when pressed.

Advice. If there are displacements, you will have to redo everything again, otherwise, while walking or running, the horseshoe will begin to hang out and interfere with the animal.

Step 9 For further actions, you will need a metal stand in the form of a thick, strong tube about half a meter high. For processing the front hooves, it is placed in front of the horse, for the rear - near the belly. The leg of the animal is raised on a stand and the protruding points of the hacks are removed by cutting.

Step 10 They take a rasp and grind the hoof again, comparing its edges with a horseshoe.

If there is a need to use spikes, and there are no holes for spikes on new horseshoes, it is easy to make them yourself. To do this, after trying on and fitting the horseshoe, you need to drill four holes - one each in the front, in front of the toe, and one each in the heel area (at the end of the nail path). The size of the holes should correspond to the diameter of the legs of the spikes.

Having drilled holes, threads are cut into them and spikes are screwed in. They are nailed in the same way as the standard ones. It should be noted that products with spikes must be attached to all four limbs, otherwise the horse will feel discomfort when running and may even injure the ligaments.

Without special knowledge and skills, you should not even try to shoe a horse yourself. Inept actions can lead to serious health problems for the animal, so it's better not to risk it. But for those who have experience in keeping horses, who knows how to properly trim hooves, you can try to perform forging under the guidance of a professional.

Video - Why horses are shod

While wild horses can travel many miles every day without any protection for their hooves, domesticated horses need shoes to protect their feet from injury and increase their efficiency as work animals. People who know how to shoe horses are called farriers. Learning the basic skills of a farrier is a great asset to almost any horse owner, as shoes need to be changed every 4-8 weeks and the cost of hiring a professional can be quite high.

Steps

Part 1

Preparing horse hooves for forging

Raise the horse's leg in preparation for shoeing. When shoeing a horse, it is important for your safety and the horse's comfort to raise the horse's leg to a comfortable position. Gently pat your horse on the rump so that he sees that you are nearby. To lift her foot, bring your hand down to her leg, grasp the ligament above her foot, and lift the hoof. The horse must shift its center of gravity to the other three legs.

Keep your foot in place by pressing your thigh between your hock and shin as you work. Run the hoof between your legs and lock your knees so that the sole of the hoof is in front of you. Support the hoof with one hand. This effectively blocks the horse's leg and he can't kick you or put him on the ground.

Remove the horseshoes that are left on the horse's hooves. To remove the horseshoe, first remove the rivets with a chisel and a hammer. Place the trimming blade on the rivet, then hit it with a hammer to loosen the rivet. Then use metal pullers to loosen the rivets and remove the shoe. Wrap the jaws of the pullers around the outer base of the shoe and wiggle it to loosen the shoe. Do the same for the inner base of the horseshoe. Do this until the horseshoe comes off.
- There are some alternative ways to remove rivets. You can use a rock and a flathead screwdriver to straighten the rivets, or if you're careful not to make a hole in the animal's hoof, you can even use a file to file off the bent ends of the rivets.
Clean the underside of the hoof. For the health and safety of your horse, do not leave any dirt or debris between the sole of the hoof and the new shoe. So, before shoeing a horse, remove all dirt, clay, stones, manure from the sole of the hoof with a punch from top to bottom from the back of the hoof to the front. Then use a metal-bristled brush for additional cleaning.
- Be careful around the frog of the hoof - it's a triangular depression in the center of the hoof. This part is very sensitive.
To remove the exfoliated, keratinized layer of the sole of the hoof, use a hoof knife. As a rule, before shoeing a horse, the hard, darkened, keratinized layer of the sole must be scraped off to a lighter and more delicate layer, similar to how a person's nails are trimmed. Don't cut too deep, as you can injure a horse or even temporarily maim it, much like cutting a man's nails too short.
- This process will be much easier if the hoof knife is well sharpened. Also be careful when doing this work, as the blade may come off and injure you.
Trim excess hoof wall with hoof clippers. The horny wall of the hoof should protrude 7.5 - 3/4 cm from the hairline above the hoof itself. If it is longer, use a set of tongs (essentially huge nail clippers) to trim the edge of the hoof to a suitable length.
- When trimming the hoof with forceps, remember to make the surface of the trimmed edges of the hoof straight and even so that it is in line with the ground when walking. Cut off each side from the back of the hoof to the front.
  - An exception may be if the horse has an uneven gait - then cut less from the hoof on the side that wears out the most. Be careful with these features, and if you are not sure about something, it is better to consult an experienced blacksmith.
Use a file to smooth and level the sole. The last thing to do when preparing a horse's hooves for shoeing is to make sure the soles of the hooves are even, smooth and flat. Using a file, carefully remove any unevenness on the soles, taking care not to shrink the foot too much and irritate the frog.

Part 2
horse shoeing
1. Try on a horseshoe to the hoof. Just like human feet, horse feet can be of different sizes and therefore different sizes of horseshoes are needed for different horses. Before you begin, make sure you have all the required shoe sizes. Keep in mind that the front and back feet of a horse are different shapes, so each foot needs its own shoe.
  - If you have to choose between too big and too small horseshoes, choose the larger ones. They can be bent, shaped and reduced to a smaller size, while small horseshoes cannot be enlarged.
2. If necessary, correct the shape of the horseshoes. Often, even with the correct size, horseshoes do not always fit perfectly on the soles of the hooves, and they need to be touched up. Like human feet, horse feet can be asymmetrical or uneven. There are several ways to give the desired shape to horseshoes. If you are a skilled metalworker, you can heat the horseshoe until the steel is soft enough to be bent to fit the hoof. Or you can cold form the horseshoe on an anvil using a hammer and pliers. Some blacksmiths take a completely different path - they grind horseshoes with a file or grinder to the desired shape / size.
  - Suitable horseshoes should fit snugly against the sole of the hoof. It may take some time before you give the horseshoe the desired shape.
3. Fix the horseshoe to the hoof with nails. Position the shoe so that it fits perfectly on the edge of the hoof, then insert nails into the holes in the shoe to attach it to the hoof. After that, take care not to injure or hobble the horse. Drive the nails into the horse's hoof at an obtuse angle outward from the center so that the nail passes through the top of the horn wall of the hoof. Do not drive nails into the sensitive inside of the hoof. To simplify the process, specially designed horseshoe nails can be used, which have a bevelled cut on one side, with which the nail is guided into the horny wall. For these nails, the manufacturer will usually mark the side of the nail that should be in the center (towards the hoof frog) - this helps to make sure the nail will go in the right direction.
  - Some modern horseshoes use glue instead of nails to secure the shoes to the hooves. If you are afraid of hurting your horse, you can try this alternative. Please note that the methods of applying glued horseshoes may differ - consult the manufacturer or an experienced farrier for detailed information.
4. Bend and remove the protruding ends of the nails. Once each nail is in place, bend the ends of the nails against the horny wall of the hoof with the forked end of the hammer head. Then unscrew the tips or break off with tongs. Leave about 0.5 cm of the bent tip of the nail over the hole, towards the toe. This way the nail will be able to hold the shoe in place and won't harm you or the horse with its sharp ends.