River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-08-29
HISTORY OF HORSE SHOES.
The English Used Them More Than .
Thousand Years Ago.


The English Used Them More Than .
Thousand Years Ago.
A horse was ridden long before he
was shod, and until it was learned how
to put shoes upon him his greatest use
fulness was not achieved. 1t Is cause
for comment that the ancients did mob
really learn to shoe him long before
they did. They did put coverings upon
the feet of animals used for draughs
or burden. These coverings were made
OF leather, and even plated shoes OF
hemp were put upon mules. which. by
the way, were oftener ridden in olden
times than horses were. BY and by
these were made of metal, not as the
animals foot is faced with iron to-7ay,
but a metal shoe was made into which
the horses foot was placed The mul
that drew Nero's chariot were shod
with silver. while those for his wife's
turnout" were of gold The shape
thereof 'deponent saith not" An old
historian tells us that people living in
Asia used TO draw socks over the feet
of the horses when the snow lay deep
upon the ground, and way of in Kam-
tehstka they cover the feet of the dogs
in the same way. IL seems as IL alb
ancient shoes we're put upon the horse
and held there by some sort OF lRcing
or strapping. War horses were NOS
shod in any way, for Alexander once 10
said TO have marched until the feet OF
his horses were broken, while in an-
other expedition of ancient days the
cavalry was left behind. because the
hoofs of the horses were in bad condi-
ton"
The nearest thing we ind to the
horse shoe of to-day was found in tho
grave of an old king of France, who
died in 4s1. There were four nail
holes in the shoe, and this is the first
mention of mailing on a shoe. It might
be well to notice just here the faeA
that the horse shoe kept evil spirits
away" even as long ago as in the days
of this old King. 1900 years ago. and
was doubtless PLACED on his grave for
this purpose. A writer in the Phila-
delphia Times says: 1.-THE superstition
that associates the horse shoe with
luck is very old and prevails all
through Europe and Southern Asia
Nobody can seem to settle whether 10
is the iron of which it is made or its
shape that brings good luck. The
ancients believed thai iron had wonder
full powers, and when Arabs are over
taken by great storms they cry, 'Ironf
Ironr' which they do TO propitia.e the
evil spirits in charge of the storm.
AS TO its shape a crescent was
form much favored by all nations
The Chinese build tombs in this shape,
and so do the Moors." 1t was lucky tor
have horse around in olden times.
and so the writer sums up the luck OF
horse shoe as found In three qualities
which il possesses: ut is made of iron,
il is the shape of crescent, and 10
has been worn by a horse" So we
find them gilded and beribboned in
my lady's parlor." and rusty and red
above the stable door, all for the sake
of the phantom luck" or to drive
away the spirits of our own inven-
ton. shoe for 'luck" should never
be hung up with the open end down.
because then the '1uck will run out"
In the ninth century they began to
shoe horses, but, strange to say, only
in time of frost. King William /. in
troduced horse shoeing into England.
and six horse shoes are on the coat of
arms of the descendants of the man to-
WHcln ne gave vast estates LOT caring
for his horses in this way. No improve
ment has been made in horseshoes for
years. Better iron has been used and
better nails, but no change has como
| in the shape or manner of putting
them on. The ''smithy" is a dingy-
looking place with its rows of shoes
along the rafters. is big bellows and
its fire and anvil; hut the "smith-he's
\ fne, sturdy fellow" full of ancedots
and news.
Horse shoes made of? Made of
horse shoe iron. A better class of iron
than is used for other things, and is Of
ten made of old horse shoes melted
down. Size? There's quarter of an
inch difference. That? That's mules
shoe. Mr.. Mule has a narrower and
smaller foot than a horse. Every body
knows that. Cut their toe nails? Yes
every time we shoe 'em. A man that
owns a good horse don't trust much to
a roadside blacksmith. He ought to
have his own sheer just as he has his
own barber. And that's the way big
guns do with boss horses. ! like to shoe
the same horse rather than shoe after
some one else. We fellows never shoe
just exactly alike, and when get q
horse trimmed / like to keep him. -
Horsemau