The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-14
HoRsEsHoEns OF oLDEN TINES.
Antiquity of the Craft as illustrated
In Ancient Classic Art.

In Ancient Classic Art.
From the Horseshoers Journal
The early historians made sad mistake
when they neglected to hand down to pos
terity a record of the lives and manners of
these ancient craftsmen, for by them We
could be better able to judge Of the intel
ligence of the people of that period, as IN
all ages the smithy has been recognized
as the center of intelligence in rural COM
munities. have no doubt the sheer OF
ancient times was quite an important
chap, as his work was very essential TO
the preservation of limb and life. While
we have been deprived of a knowledge OF
the sheer himself and his ways, we can
feast our eyes on some of his works, at
least representations of them in art pic
lures, and it is doubtful If some OF these
artists didn't work their imaginations and
put the sho9 then in use on their SUB
jects. Hans BERGMAN, in his Horses
Of Antiquity" represents plumed knight
on horseback. The horse had raised heels
on his shoes, which were fastened on by
nails, apparently, three on each side paint
ed in 1873. He has another showing
groom leading two horses that are appar-
entity shod with fat thick-heeled shoes.
There is another picture by Albert Dur
er Q471) which shows a knight on horse
back whose horse is shod with a fiat shoe
having a wide web at the toe, much like
the toe weight of the present day. He
also has another good picture of a heavy
draft horse that is shod with heel calks
Q5OS.
Another German painter about that
time, Lucas Granaeh Q472) has a horse
and plumed knight, the horse having heel
calks and nails.
The English in the sixteenth century
represent horse figure called the Tour
nament Roll" that is. shod with shoe
that looks like the Dunning steel shoe.
or the Goodenough of the present day,
having fine, small calks on the side, or
they might be extra large nail heads.
The Italian masters show the toe weight
shoe in the fifteenth century They have
a picture taken from fresco painting in
The Campo Santa de Pisa. The horseman
is one of the followers of PLATE, and the
artist represents him as one of the cortege
of Christ bearing his cross toward Col
gotha. His horse has heel calks and the
shoes nailed on. The French have a pic
ture of a knight on horseback, shod with
fiat shoes in the twelfth century. He car
ries Maltese banner and 1t is in the ca
thedral of Chartus.
study of these pictures surprises us
and somewhat lessons the self-esteem we
may have INDUCED In at our progressive
ness, for, alter all, many of our supposed
new ideas are only resurrections. Even
the felt shoe is as old as the hills, as note
this little bit of ancient gossip:
In Lord Herbert's Life of Henry VIII"
II is stated that that monarch while in
France, having feasted the ladies royalty
for divers days departed from Tourney to
Lilse, Oct 10, 1913, whittier he was invited
by the Lady Margaret, who caused them
joust or tournament to be held in an ez-
traordinary manner the place being n
large room raised high from the ground
by many steps and paved by black square
stones like marble, while the horses, to
prevent slipping, were shod with felt, af-
ter which the ladies danced all night.
shoe Of the seventeenth century was
found with fullered margin, or, as we say,
creased, and calks, with the letters II. l.
stamped on It, evidently the initials OF the
maker.
There is a complete treatise on shoeing
| by Caesar F'laschl, written in the seven
teenth century. Along about 1916 and later
there must have been quite fad in fam
cy shoelng, and silver cheaper than It is
to-day, as we find It was used for horse
shoes certain Lord Doncaster, an
English ambassador, when he entered
Paris his horse was shod with silver shoes
and when he came to a place were beau
ties of eminence were stationed the ca
vorting of the charger would make him
cast shoe, which the greedy bystanders
scrambled for while lveried farrler came
and tackled on another one, and
thus with much ado he reached the Lou
Vre
In the eighteenth century the craft gain
ed in prestige and honors, having taken
up the art Of doctoring. There can be no
doubt their methods in this respect were
crude and barbarous, but they had a bet
ter excuse for such treatment than some
of those that continue their methods to
the present day Many farriers held
places of honor, and some were just as
conceted as many of our youngsters to-
| day. Many maids could echo the fair
Portals sentiment when she said of her
| lover that he does nothing but talk con-
tinually Of his horse, and layeth great APP
preparation TO his own good parts, that he
| can shoe him himself The lessons we
may learn from this brief review are mod
esty in our accomplishments, pride in hav-
| ing an avoca ton that AS George Fleming
| says, kings and mobiles have not dlsdained
| to practice and which Is very intimately
connected with the comfort and utility Of
the nobest and most useful animal ever
! domesticated by man.