Happy New Year from the Hoof Blog!

Just a note, as they say, to wish everyone a happy, healthy and harmonious new year with many new adventures, accomplishments and alliances. The only way I can get my own attention is to attach sticky notes to the screens of my computers, so I'm speaking to you in official Hoofcare office language. 

Thank you all very much for all your kindness, friendship and support in what turned out to be a difficult 2011. 

What you're doing for and with horses will always amaze and inspire me enough to keep sticky notes on my computer screens, refrigerator door, car windshield and bathroom mirror forever. 

I'm sticking with you in 2012 and wishing you the very best that life can bring. Thanks for reading, thanks for being out there, thanks for moving forward and (most of all) thanks for letting me tag along.

War Horse Hoofcare: Keep Your Eye on the Galloping Horseshoe Pouch

When you go to see the film War Horse, try to keep an eye on the farrier-related clues scattered through the story like a treasure hunt.

And keep your eye on the bouncing horseshoe pouch.

He's a British cavalry horse. It's World War I. He's lost his rider and he's behind German lines. The horse is running for his life, blindly through the forest.

Do you notice anything interesting about his tack?

Most people are arguing about whether the runaway scene through No Man's Land toward the end of the film (the one shown repeatedly on television trailers) was done with edited tack. Surely his stirrups were removed or they would have caught on something in all that debris the horse encountered. And a real horse would have stepped on his reins, they say.

But some of us were straining to see if the horseshoe pouch had found its way back to the saddle. This leather case was designed to carry two spare horseshoes and 12 nails. The case was attached to military saddles; every horse went forward with spare shoes and nails. And Steven Spielberg's crew was detail-oriented enough to make sure that the traditional pouch is attached to the saddle.

How considerate of the actor who played Captain Nicholls, Tom Hiddleston, to lift his arm and reveal the horseshoe pouch (circled) in this still image from the film. DreamWorks Pictures image.

Horseshoe pouches can be pricey; Ken McPheeters' Antique Militaria has two American ones (one is shown below) for sale, one pre- and  one post-Civil War. They start at $1000. There is a double pouch for shoes and brushes.

When you opened the case, this is what you would have seen (see photo): a small pocket for nails and usually two horseshoes. I think someone needs to make a nice horseshoe for this nice old case, unless maybe the old used shoe shown here has historical significance.

Some cases had a loop on the outside that held a saber where it would not impede the movement or comfort of the rider but where it could easily be reached and drawn. The pouch in War Horse did not have that loop, although the one in the photo from the National Army Museum does have it.

Throughout War Horse, the attention to detail in the uniforms and horse equipment is admirable. Once the horse goes to war, the experts were on the set. Of course, there are always disagreements about what is accurate, since there were so many variations over the course of history. 

The horseshoe case was one little detail among many but it's an important one to get right. And they did.

 TO LEARN MORE

Links to US military horseshoe pouches for sale by Ken McPheeters:
http://www.mcpheetersantiquemilitaria.com/04_horse_equip/04_item_022.htm
http://www.mcpheetersantiquemilitaria.com/04_horse_equip/04_item_012.htm 

More about horseshoe pouches:
http://www.sportingcollection.com/blog/?p=222#comments

Much more about War Horse: Fran Jurga's War Horse News blog

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation 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.

War Horse Hoofcare: Holy Horseshoeing at an Anvil Altar in France, 1918

Today we salute some holy horseshoeing. During the long battle in World War I to take (or defend) the Argonne Forest, American transport horses were stabled inside the ruins of a church in Consenvoye, in northeastern France. A corner of the once-grand church became the smithy where American farriers worked to keep the horses shod. 

War Horse Hoofcare: The Way It Was

It's War Horse week on The Hoof Blog. We'll start off with a short and not very sweet video of the British Army farrier encampment somewhere in India.You can see the forges and the horses lined up, and you can also notice the division of labor between the Indians and the British. 

Who's pumping the bellows?

The second part of the clip demonstrates what they are calling the Lightwark Tackle System. I haven't found any other reference to this. It is similar to other systems used to desensitize a green horse and get shoes on it.

They didn't have much time, and this is how they got it done. I don't know how many horses broke their legs or necks or how many young Indians were seriously injured in the making of this film, but I know that the American Humane Association--the organization that watched over the making of War Horse and gave the film its highest rating for the welfare of the horses on the set--wouldn't have been pleased that the British even made this film, much less actually used that system.

It's just the way things were.

I hope you will enjoy the posts planned for this week and that you will go see War Horse, if you live in the United States or Australia. Go see it on a big screen and watch what's going on in the background as well as where the camera is pointed.

This film is from the archives of the War Horse: Fact or Fiction exhibit at the National Army Museum in London.

MORE

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. 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 digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.  

Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation 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.

Kauto Star's Horseshoes Are As Good as Gold: British Jump Champion Is a Golden Oldie in the Winner's Circle

Eleven-year-old British National Hunt superstar Kauto Star, one of the racing world's biggest stars, now has golden shoes, thanks to farrier Michael Jones who was commissioned to forge the special shoes. (Betfair photo)

You know you've made it in the world of sports when you look down and notice that your shoes are gold.

 

Olympic gold medalist track star Michael Johnson started the gold shoes tradition. His custom-made Nike running shoes were made from a gold-spun DuPont fiber. Photo by Klew97.

British soccer star David Beckham and his sponsor Adidas got in the act by custom-making these golden boots for his 100th game representing England. Photo by Aѕкαяαℓι Mคttย๓๓.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt wore untied gold shoes to win three gold medals, thanks to his sponsor, Puma. Photo by Sumeet Mulani.

It's one thing to get DuPont to spin a special golden synthetic fiber for an athletic shoe, but what do you do when the shoes need to be made of steel or aluminum?

That was the assignment given to English farrier Michael Jones DipWCF of MJ Farriers by the British wagering firm Betfair. Betfair wanted the National Hunt hero Kauto Star to know that he is as loved and honored as the human athletes, so they commissioned a set of gold horseshoes.

The assignment came during the runup to today's William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton Park racecourse in England. Kauto Star had won it four times but lost in 2010 to his great rival, Long Run--a horse who, at only six years old--is about half his age.

This is what it looks like when a winter-running jump horse with more than 40 lifetime starts (and about $5 million US in winnings) rewrites the racing record books:

Kauto Star is the only racehorse to have won consecutive Grade One races in eight consecutive years.

Mike Jones said that he began by forging the shoes from steel rather than aluminum; they were then plated with 13-karat gold. It took him two weeks to get them done.

"This is the first time I've made horseshoes out of gold," Jones commented in a press release from Betfair. "The process was much more intricate than normal. It was a real test of my craftsmanship, but I think these hooves are fit for a King."

The shoes will be presented to Kauto Star's trainer, Paul Nicholls.

"They are very fitting for a horse of his talent," Jones said by email. When I reached him tonight, he was celebrating at the pub with friends but talked for a few minutes about the project.

He said that he thought he had been chosen--out of all the farriers in Great Britain--to do this shoemaking project because he has been, until recently, the farrier for the Royal Household, which means that he shod horses for the Queen.

"These sorts of special projects just seem to find me," he said tonight.

Dan Hubbard DipWCF of Bath, England is Kauto Star's farrier for the un-ceremonial shoes that get the old campaigner around the track and back, year after year after year. I think he deserves some gold shoes, too!

Kauto Star turns 12 on Sunday, along with all the other Thoroughbreds in the Northern Hemisphere. That sounds like job security for Dan Hubbard. The Golden Oldie runs next in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which he was won twice.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. 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 digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.  

Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal

Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation 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.

Nothing Says "Happy Holidays" Like a Horse in the Snow

What, you're not in the holiday spirit? The Hoof Blog has a cure for that. Just sit down and watch my collection of favorite Christmas television commercials. All have horses featured in them.

If you don't have the ho-ho-ho's by the time you're finished watching these, try some egg nog and watch again.

1. First, a  montage of Irish Christmas commercials, past and present, including scenes from ads for Guinness, Land Rover, Kerrygold and some other companies I don't recognize (sorry):

2. More from Ireland: I love the Guinness ad, so let's look at that one in its entirety:

3. Here's the classic Christmas commercial, American-style: the 1987 Budweiser Vermont Christmas ad, shot in my old hometown of South Woodstock:

4. I don't remember when the Budweiser Clydesdales took credit for turning on the Christmas lights, but I'm happy they did it in this commercial:

5. Just for the record, Miller High Life beat Budweiser to Vermont; this one is from 1981 and still stands the test of time. What a classic:

6.  No snowman is safe when there are horses around. This Wells Fargo commercial makes that point very clearly!




Go ahead, use the little envelope symbol at the bottom of this post to email a link to this video collection and make it your Christmas greeting, too! Or use the symbols to share this on Facebook and Twitter. Spread the joy to the world!

Happy holidays to all!

Thanks for your support and friendship 

and all you do to help horses!

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page).  Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to info@hoofcare.com.  

Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @Hoofblog

Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation 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.