Horseshoeing, a craft still alive from medieval times

The process of forging and attaching horseshoes became an important craft in medieval times.  Blacksmiths made most of the iron objects used in everyday life though farriery or horseshoeing, was the most frequent occupation.
The horse was a major means of transportation in the United States until the automobile was invented.  The horse population declined from 1910-1960, as they were replaced with cars.  However, in the early 1960's, the population increased as horse racing became popular as a means of recreation.  Over the last decade or so, the horse population has remained relatively stable.  The decline in horse racing due to the replacement of other forms of gambling has been offset by the increased popularity of pleasure riding and horse shows.  In addition, rodeos are still active and I had an opportunity to learn about this craft first hand from Todd Nelson, farrier.

Shoeing, when performed correctly, causes no pain to the animal. Farriers trim the insensitve part of the hoof, whis is the same area into which they drive the nails.  This is analogous to a manicure on a human fingernail, only on a much larger scale.

 

Before beginning to shoe, the farrier removes the old shoe using pincers and trims the hoof wall to the desired length with nippers.

 

The hoof is cleaned to allow proper fit of the shoe.

 

Shoes are then measured to the foot and bent to the correct shape using a hammer and anvil, and other modifications, such as taps for shoe studs. are added.

 

The farrier then nails the shoes on, by driving the nails into the hoof wall at the white line of the hoof.  The nails are shaped in such a way that they bend outward as they are driven in, avoiding the sensitive inner part of the foot, so they emerge on the sides of the hoof.  When the nail has been completely driven, the farrier cuts off the sharp points and uses a clincher  to bend the rest of the nail so it is almost flush with the hoof wall. This prevents the nail from getting caught on anything. but also helps to hold the nail in place.

The farrier then uses a rasp (large file) to smooth the edge where it meets the shoe and eliminate any sharp edges left from cutting off the nails.

This whole process of shoeing the horse at the Great Northern Classic Rodeo took less than 45 minutes.  Todd Nelson is very skilled at his craft and certainly has a connection to the horses that he works with.  Thank you Todd and Stacy Nelson of The Lazy N.