St Dunstan and the Devil: Why We Hang Horseshoes Over Doors

A French painting by Antoine St Aubert seems to illustrate one version of the St Dunstan legend, or a French legend like it. Religious history seems to be full of blacksmith and farrier saints!

Today is celebrated as the feast day of St Dunstan, a 10th Century saint who lived a quiet life as a smith and a musician in Sussex, England, until one night the devil paid him a visit and one of the great traditions of folklore was born: the nailing of a horseshoe over a door.

Who Left Those Hoofprints in the Sand?

The impermanence of art: the incoming tide will wash away the hoofprints on the beach near Mont St Michel, but the FEI has made a grand impression on the world that only 100 days remain before the opening of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in France. (FEI photo)

It's 100 days until the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games begin in Normandy, France. Something was bound to happen, but who would expect this?

Badminton' Farriers Prize 2014: Irish Farrier Wins Best Shod Prize

Irish rider Clare Abbott trotted up the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Euro Prince for the 4* Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials last week. Not only did the horse complete the extremely difficult test in his first outing at the highest level of the sport, he also won the "best shod" prize for his farrier. (Photo courtesy of Professional Riders Organization, used with permission)

Whether it’s the list of those who have shod Kentucky Derby winners, or the list of the farriers behind (or underneath) the “Best Shod” horse each year at England’s Badminton Horse Trials, these are two lists that define the hard work that farriers do, and one of the few times in the year that the horse world notices shoes or shoers.

The Badminton list grew a little longer yesterday when not just a new name was added, but a new nation. Neil Dickson took the plaque of the Worshipful Company of Farriers aboard a plane last night and headed back across the Irish Sea to of County Down, in Northern Ireland.

Article © Hoofcare Publishing. If you'd like to re-publish, summarize or otherwise re-use the research that went into this article, please contact the publisher.

California Chrome Wins Kentucky Derby in Judd Fisher's California-Hybrid Horseshoes

There will always be an as asterisk next to the name of California Chrome in the Kentucky Derby history records. Yes, California Chrome was the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby wearing glue-on shoes. Glue on shoes that weren't glued on, that is.

And that's only part of the story.

How Much is a Famous Horse's Shoe Worth? Derby Winner Orb's Raceplate on eBay Today

A horseshoe worn by 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb is being auctioned today on eBay. The auction benefits equine research.

People often what a shoe from a famous horse is worth. The answer isn't easy. Authentication is tough, and fraud could be rampant.

Have there ever been horseshoes on PBS's "Antique Road Show"? History Channel's "Pawn Stars" authenticated a horseshoe as having been on Secretariat's hoof based on the brand. Yet secretariat.com says that Secretariat always wore Victory plates. Most of the "authentic" shoes auctioned off as having been on Secretariat seem to be Thoro'bred plates. Will we ever know?

Derby Day Videos: Health and Safety Updates from Churchill Downs and Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation

The Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation funds equine research like the surgery at Rood and RIddle Equine Hospital described in this video; its Welfare and Safety of the Racehorsee programs work to keep racehorses safer and healthier during their competitive careers.

It's Derby Day!

It takes a lot of effort and skill to get a horse to the level of racing in the Kentucky Derby. There's luck involved, too. But you can be the best trainer with the best horse, and none of it matters if the racetrack and the industry aren't keeping up with safety and health initiatives that insure your horse has a fair chance.

Spring laminitis case videos: What’s new for prevention and hoof management?

It's spring, that annual stock-taking time when horse owners should be taking serious care of their horses' feet and examining them for signs of changes brought on by the shift of seasons and feeding as brown grass turns green. It's time for owners to talk to vets and farriers about their horses' overall condition and to look at age and lifestyle factors that might be increasing a horse's risk of laminitis-related lameness or a serious episode of the debilitating disease.

Footing Science: FEI Sport Horse Arena and Track Surfaces Report Download

Is there an ideal footing for all horses? Racetrack surfaces and sport horse arena surfaces are always fair fuel for arguments. The FEI's new report may add some science to personal preferences. (Photo © Hoofcare Publishing)

This announcement from the FEI includes an offer to download this extensive technical report for free: 

The world’s most extensive study into the effect of arena surfaces on the orthopedic health of sport horses in the seven FEI disciplines and in racing has been published by the FEI.

PBS "My Bionic Pet": Putting Hooves and Paws and Tails Where They Weren't

On Wednesday, April 9, the PBS documentary series Nature will focus on pets who are missing parts. The star of the show will be the all-time star of this blog, Molly the (Three-Legged) Pony, but you'll also meet Chris P, the piglet who lives in a wheelchair or Mr. Stubbs, the alligator who needed a tail, and a pack of pooches who are running with the best of them but without as many legs.

Shoeless in Lexington: Polytrack Podiatry at Keeneland's Last Artificial Surface Meet

An interesting experiment was available to bettors Sunday at Kentucky's Keeneland racecourse as trainer Wayne Rice prepared to send no less than six horses to the post in five races. None of them would be wearing shoes.

Dubai Hoofcare: What--or Who--Was Underneath the Horses in the World's Richest Race?

Australian farrier Rob Stevenson now lives and works in Dubai. He demonstrated shoeing a lead pony with
gold raceplates before the Dubai World Cup last week; this week he's in China.

The emirate of Dubai is a tiny speck on the map, but it is growing into one of the world’s premier destinations for farriers and innovations in hoofcare. Saturday’s Dubai World Cup races in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) brought not just the world’s best horses and trainers and jockeys to the tiny desert nation; it brought farriers and some horses left with more interesting equipment on their hooves than when they arrived.

Next Step in Re-vamp of Farriers Registration Act in Great Britain

A government report published on Wednesday takes another step toward modernizing a law governing who can shoe--or possibly trim--British horses.

Resource: CSU Video "Hangout" on Equine Metabolic Syndrome and Laminitis

Here's a resource to bookmark and share. Last night, three veterinarians from the Colorado State University Equine Veterinary Teaching Hospital hosted a Google+ "HangOut" on the subject of "Metabolic Problems That Affect Your Horse: Insulin Resistance, Cushings, and Laminitis".

Mark Milster: Farrier accolades "mean nothing" if the horse isn't happy

 

The Oklahoman newspaper and newsok.com tracked down former World Champion farrier Mark Milster for a nice interview and video. The video gives a peek into Mark's shop, which should make toolhead readers happy. 

And the story of how Mark worked his way to the top of the farrier profession should inspire us all.

Ireland Lists 49 Farrier Forges and Smithies on "Registered Buildings" List

Remnants of an old forge near Castle Dermot in Kildare, Ireland.

"Welcome, O life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience 
and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race." 
- James Joyce, 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'

There's no place like Ireland when it comes to poetry from the forge. Whether it's a list of references from Joyce, or the brooding Nobel Prize winning "Door into the Dark" poem about the farrier by Seamus Heaney, or the tragic classic folksong "The Blacksmith's Letter", the Irish arts seem right at home in the forge.

The Gaelic word for forge or smithy is "cérdcha", pronounced "cartha", and the forge was important not just to the horsemen and the smith himself, but to the whole community, so the architecture naturally had stature. But does anyone remember that today, when farriers show up in vans and trucks?

St Patrick's Day seems like a perfect time to share some good news for history and architecture fans, as well as art and poetry and mythology fans. The government workers of Ireland may have taken today off to celebrate the holiday, but they have been very hard at work in recent years, and have some interesting information to share.

Yes, the famous Enniskerry forge in Kilgarran, County Wicklow is in the survey; it tells us that it was built in 1855.

Ireland has a project called the National Survey of Architectural Heritage, and one of the many types of buildings that they have selected to survey and document is the classic Irish smithy: they have selected 49 still-standing smithies, forges, and shoeing shops scattered around the Emerald Isle.

Another forge in County Wicklow.

The stated purpose of the survey is to "identify, record, and evaluate the post-1700 architectural heritage of Ireland, uniformly and consistently as an aid in the protection and conservation of the built heritage."

Unlike other national architectural surveys, Ireland's considers smithies worthy of cataloging. 

Imagine, if you will, van-loads of surveyors and photographers and historians driving around the countryside collecting the measurements and histories of each of these buildings. And then compiling all that information into a database that can be searched and referenced.

The forges don't all have horseshoe doors, but they all do
seem to be a bit magical. This one is in County Westmeath.

For years, I've talked about organizing a van-load of my own. I'd fill it with people who appreciate the old forges with horseshoe doorways. Wouldn't you like to see some of them before they all disappear or are eagerly converted by architects into homes for people who have never stood in a real forge?

Unfortunately, many of the oldest shoeing shops were situated so that ever-widening roads spelled their inevitable demolition. If there are this many left in the tiny country, can you imagine how many there once were?

Fewer seem to be left in Great Britain, but Ireland has plenty to see. The problem is that many are described in the survey as "derelict". In the photos, they may lack a roof, or a wall, or a couple of walls. But something still stands to let you know that these places mattered, back in the day.

Forges were built to last, as if the smiths who constructed them had no reason not to believe that they would be needed forever. For many fathers, they were rock-solid legacies to pass on to their sons. While many are similar, no two are exactly alike.

This lovely forge near Antrim Castle still stands; notice the heel calks on the doorframe's shoe. It is not in the Survey, however,  because it is in Northern Ireland.

I wonder if there are some Americans who will read this article and head for Ireland to buy one (or more) of these old landmarks so they can re-erect them in America. Some Irish buildings have crossed the Atlantic, though I haven't heard of any forges doing that--yet. I don't think that is what the Irish government or I have in mind. Better to head to Ireland and go into the files of the Survey, get dimensions and proportions and details, and build one of your own here.

Make no mistake: smithies are just one of dozens of categories of common and uncommon buildings listed in the survey. The government has located and identified and surveyed the forges, but they are not protected from demolition or development or conversion.

A page from the survey; this is the result of a search for survyed smithies in County Meath. There may well be more that were not in the survey, or that haven't been found yet because they are on private property.

Do you speak architecture? Here's a sample listing of one forge:

Detached three-bay single-story rubble stone former forge, c.1850, with single-bay single-story side elevation to west having horse shoe-shaped integral carriageway. Reroofed, c.1930. Now disused. Gable-ended roof. Replacement corrugated-iron, c.1930. Iron ridge tiles. Rendered coping to gables. No rainwater goods. Rubble stone walls. Square-headed window openings. Cut-stone lintels. Timber paneled doors. Horse shoe-shaped integral carriageway to side elevation to west. Cut-granite surround with 'nail holes'. Inscribed benchmark to surround. Set back from road perpendicular to road in own grounds with side (west) elevation fronting on to road.

Appraisal: This forge is a fine, small-scale building that is testament to the small-scale industry of County Kildare and which is therefore of considerable social and historic importance - the building is also testament to an age before the automobile when the local community relied on horse power for transport and farming activities. Although now disused and in poor repair, the building retains some of its original character, features and materials. The construction of the building is of interest and combines rubble stone with more refined cut-granite dressings. Important surviving early salient features include the cut-stone dressings to the openings, in particular the appropriate surround to the integral carriageway that is also furnished with nail holes. The inscribed benchmark to the surround is also of scientific and social interest, having been used by the Ordnance Survey in the early preparation of maps. The forge is attractively located perpendicular to the road side and is a pleasant and prominent landmark in the locality.

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Not all forges were built to last. This thatched one in County Limerick might not be standing. It looks like everyone in this photo is packed up and leaving the farrier behind. Maybe he was ready to leave and someone showed up with that donkey to trim.

They're just sitting there. The ones in use rarely, if ever, have a horse inside; many have become gas stations or homes or shops or tearooms.

I know there are people who go to Ireland to see the castles, or the foxhunts, or the wolfounds or the Galway hooker sailboats. People have come to the defense of these bits of history and tradition, and they want to experience them, preserve them, and treasure them.

Now the government has, almost by accident, created a treasure map for anyone who wants to experience a very special type of old building that (almost) no one would dream of constructing any more. But there they are, waiting to be photographed and visited and appreciated for what they were. And still are.

To learn more, you can sift through the entire log of smithies and forges on the website: http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/.

Read also:
The Blacksmith and His Forge in Ancient Ireland

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Disclosure of Material Connection: No direct compensation was paid for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

History Detectives: What Do You Notice About These Irish Farriers?

 Irish Farriers at the Barracks, Waterford, 1909

You don't need to wear a funny cap and carry a magnifying glass to be able to apply Sherlock Holmes's "deductive reasoning" to old photos of farriers. Well, a magnifying glass might be helpful.

Arizona Equine Massage Therapist Fights Accusation of Illegal Practice of Veterinary Medicine with Lawsuit

There are 50 states in the USA but Arizona seems to make the news more often than most. And when it does, it is usually because there is something that lawmakers in Arizona want to keep out. Whether it's unique Arizona-only laws to send illegal immigrants back to Mexico or the rights of businesses to refuse to serve gays on religious grounds, Arizona makes the news when it makes new laws.

Now it wants to get rid of equine massage therapists.

ShoeSecure Conquers Lost-Shoe Season, Now with Global Patent Approved to Keep Horseshoes On Hooves Everywhere

Spring means lost shoes. Instead of wondering if there’s a shoe at the bottom of that

puddle, rely on ShoeSecure to hold horseshoes on hooves that tend to pull shoes, lose shoes or that require a particularly full fit. Developed with the assistance of two world champion farriers.

                                        SHOESECURE SPONSORED THIS ARTICLE.                           

It’s a sure sign of spring when horses lose their shoes. But this year’s lost shoe count could be higher than usual, as American horse farm pastures thaw out after the longest, coldest winter in years.

Tennessee Congresswoman Blackburn Files Alternative Legislation in Congress to Amend Horse Protection Act, Inspect Walking Horses at Shows

Tennessee Walking horses enjoy great popularity at shows in the mid-Southern United States, where they have become famous for showcasing the "Big Lick" gait. The horse's natural talent and action are exaggerated by heavy pad stacks and pastern chains. The American Horse Protection Act was passed to outlaw the cruel practice of "soring" or deliberately causing pain to the hooves and pasterns to accentuate the gait. Critics feel that only a total ban on pads and chains will stop the cruelty.

The Hoof Blog has learned that Tennessee Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R) has filed House Bill 4098 in the US House of Representatives; the legislation aims to reform the jurisdiction over and inspection of the way that Tennessee Walking horses are shod for show. This new legislation is an alternative to much stricter legislation already before Congress, known as the PAST Act, which was filed by Kentucky Representative Ed Whitfield in April 2013.

Research Update: Laminitis and Lameness Project Funding Announced by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation’s board of directors has announced a slate of 19 research projects which the Foundation will fund for a total of $1,003,580 in 2014. The list includes eleven new projects and five which are in their second year, as well as three Storm Cat Career Development Awards.

White Turf: How Do Polo Ponies and Racehorses Stay on Their Feet in the St. Moritz Snow?

A ski-joring horse displays the outside of his right front hoof during a race. Coronet and hoof wall injuries are common when horses are shod with calks. (Swiss Images photo)

Calks? Check. Snow rim pads? Check. Ice-breaker hoof pick? Check. Horses competing in the polo and racing each February in St. Moritz, Switzerland are prepared from the ground--or should we say snow?--up.

It happens every February. Winter looks gray and boring and spring can't come quickly enough and then the images start showing up from the glamorous ski resort of St Moritz, Switzerland and you remember that it is possible to have fun with horses in the snow. And that there are some people out there who manage to do it with a great deal of style.

But how do they keep the horses of their feet?

University of Tennessee: First Equine Podiatry Conference Planned; Dudley Hurst Vet School Farrier Videos

The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine invites farriers and veterinarians to attend the inaugural Equine Podiatry Conference to be held in Knoxville, Tennessee Saturday, March 8, 2014.

Announcement: Second International Saddle Research Trust Conference to Examine Impact of Horse, Saddle and Rider on Each Other

WHAT: Saddle Research Trust Second International Conference: 

Horses, Saddles and Riders: Applying the Science

WHEN: Saturday, November 29, 2014

WHERE: Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, England

The world’s top scientists will come together to share their knowledge at the Saddle Research Trust (SRT) Second International Conference, to be held at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England on November 29, 2014.

On the Case: Foal Foot Bone Sequestrum Infection, Surgery and Recovery with Fraley Equine Podiatry

"It's just a gravel." "This wet weather is causing him to abscess." "He gets an abscess every winter." "He's been lame from that abscess for too long..."

When is it time to worry about a hoof abscess? When it grows from a sniper site of infection to a battlefield, when a horse does not respond to standard antibiotic treatment, or when it becomes obvious that it's not an abscess, after all.

Sochi-Inspired History: The World's Largest Horseshoeing Business Was in Russia

The amazing horse light sculptures in the Sochi Olympics opening ceremony told the Russian legend of each day's sunrise being pulled across the sky by a three-horse "troika" of horses. (photo shared by Sue and Marcus)

Are you enjoying the Olympics from Russia? When you're done dissecting the triple toe loops, slopeslide 360s and what on earth they really are trying to do in a curling match, here's a story to ponder. 

Not much about the history of farriery in Russia is translated to English, so it's tough to write about, but one story stands out.

Recent Publications: New Research on Hoofcare and Lameness

Did your New Year's Resolutions include a pledge to keep up with new research and developments in the research side of things? That could be a full time job. It could also be pretty costly, unless you have access to a library with the right journal subscriptions.

Video: Watch the 2014 Budweiser Clydesdale "Puppy Love" Super Bowl Commercial

Thank you, Anheuser-Busch. The giant St Louis brewery did Budweiser Clydesdale fans a big favor today and released the hitch's new 2014 Super Bow commercial. Have a watch and relax during the game!

Now, these commercials always have a back story, and this year is no exception. Here's the "behind-the-scenes" teaser for the ad.

Anheuser-Busch is continuing the story started with "Brotherly Love" in 2013. This year, the horse trainer played by actor Don Jeanes finds his paddocks invaded by a persistent puppy from the adoption center next door. 

Have fun, #BestBuds!

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is the news service for Hoofcare and Lameness Publishing. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a headlines-link email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.  

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Disclosure of Material Connection: The Hoof Blog (Hoofcare Publishing) has not received any direct compensation for writing this post. Hoofcare Publishing has no material connection to the brands, products, or services mentioned, other than products and services of Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Budweiser Clydesdale Super Bowl Commercial Teaser: A Hero's Welcome

Many people were moved by the Budweiser Clydesdales' special commercial--it only aired once--for the heroes of the 911 tragedy in New York. Get ready to be moved again during this Sunday's Super Bowl, as the Clydesdale perform a hero's welcome.

Coolmore's Daddy Long Legs to Run Without Shoes in Dubai Stakes Race; Interference Given as Reason for Rule Exception

Halfway around the world, a South African racehorse trainer is taking a chance with a well-known stakes-winning Thoroughbred. And he had to get official clearance to do it.

World Champions at Work: Farriers Varini and Robinson Win Equestrian Business of the Year Award in Scotland

World Champion farriers David Varini (left) and Paul Robinson (right) are partners in a farrier service company in Scotland. They recently won the "Equestrian Business of the Year" Award from HorseScotland. (Muriel Colquhoun photo)

What if two World Champions teamed up to offer farrier services and train apprentices? That's exactly what happened in Scotland a few years back. At that time, neither knew he'd ever win that prestigious title. Or, for that matter, their latest title, either.