The debate rages on . . .

[parsonwalker]

OK, let's try this again. DCMatt pointed out that I should have something in the pic for scale. Exactly right. Sorry. It is standard horseshoe size. While not easily visible, both of these shoes have nail holes, and each has a couple of rusty nail remnants sticking through. The second shoe is roughly the same size as the one in my hand for scale. As you can see they are similar, but not exactly the same. I keep three horses for a farrier and he is stumped. Never seen anything like them. But agrees they were "real" horseshoes and on a horse (or mule) at some time. These two NOT found on same farm. Not claiming value, just curious as heck as to how they were used. You guys are true comedians (high heels for a horse) but I'm hoping SOMEBODY knows something.

 

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[Molewacker]

Yep, this is a strange one -

My WAG is that these were used in the old days to treat / correct a bad hoof problem like Laminitis.

 

[Molewacker]

Who would wear these?

 

[releventchair]

That doesn't look like any tab used to relieve stress on the shoes nails...

Here's some wild lookin Roman shoes , alleged as being for rocky ground.

War horses in mud or clay , and types for draft vs riding would seem to have a variety of shoes.
A search did not turn up civil war era shoes with extended fronts....

The o.p.'s pic seems like the curves are deliberate , vs bent upon removal.
They would inspire a horse to not hit a front foot with a rear foot. At the risk of hurting itself. Not good ...And worse not good during wartime.
But may have only been on the front feet for a type of traction. No idea how that would affect nails though...

 

[Retired Sarge]

I keep coming back to either a home made hat/coat/lead hook. Or maybe a shoe used as a pattern, rough out the new shoe and compare it to the pattern, makes it easier than having to have the horse right there.

I can't see it being a functional shoe, but you never know, and my internet searches are not turning anything up to suggest that.

 

[creskol]

Too bad the two threads are divided. Hard to keep track that way.

 

[DCMatt]

That doesn't look like any tab used to relieve stress on the shoes nails...

Here's some wild lookin Roman shoes , alleged as being for rocky ground.

War horses in mud or clay , and types for draft vs riding would seem to have a variety of shoes.
A search did not turn up civil war era shoes with extended fronts....

The o.p.'s pic seems like the curves are deliberate , vs bent upon removal.
They would inspire a horse to not hit a front foot with a rear foot. At the risk of hurting itself. Not good ...And worse not good during wartime.
But may have only been on the front feet for a type of traction. No idea how that would affect nails though...

I'm not a horse guy by any stretch, but I like this traction theory - a piece on the front of the shoes to dig in and provide more leverage.

I can't seem to find the words to use to do more research.

I'd like to point out the difference in the orientation of the "toe" on the two relics.



Shoes made by different blacksmiths? Maybe one of the locals came up with an idea and others copied it. If that's the case, it wasn't such a good idea or we'd be finding more of these in VA.

Not that it helps this thread but my experience digging in northern Virginia tells me the beast of burden used here was oxen, not horses.

 

[releventchair]

Oxen due to split/two toed hoofs had a two piece shoe per foot.

 

[DCMatt]

Oxen due to split/two toed hoofs had a two piece shoe per foot.

Yes. I've dug a ton of them in Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

It was simply an observation. I'm assuming the horseshoes were found in farm fields in central VA. We find ox shoes in the fields around here.

It's interesting to me that 100+ years ago, farmers who were 100 miles from here (I don't know exactly where parsonwalker is located) made different choices about the best way to get the work done.

 

[releventchair]

Yes. I've dug a ton of them in Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

It was simply an observation. I'm assuming the horseshoes were found in farm fields in central VA. We find ox shoes in the fields around here.

It's interesting to me that 100+ years ago, farmers who were 100 miles from here (I don't know exactly where parsonwalker is located) made different choices about the best way to get the work done.

Yes , you knew ox shoes. I should have mentioned that.

Regions and stock worked...
Oxen could be used if you had/raised cattle. A freshened/successfully bred milk cow meant a new calf coming. And milk. At less cost than buying a horse.
Keep training up young steers and selling trained ones. Or wait till your working one(s) are getting old and put a couple young aside to train as replacements.
Accounts tell of putting a little more weight on the old ones when retired , for some good eats.

Horses were uncommon in a few areas. Cost and availability and diet and general familiarity likely factored.
Folks get in wrecks with autos today. They used to get wrecked by horses.
But also ate them and used their hides... Oxen were /are more mellow. And slower at full run....

The number of horses used during the civil war for war efforts was substantial.
With several hundred thousand killed , plus how many others injured or lamed or messed up in some other way (a rough time to be a beast of burden if ever there was one) cost and availability post war might have been a concern for a while.

 

[ticndig]

maybe it was a home remedy or experimental attempt to correct the horses gait
.I've detected central Va for 30+ years and have dug hundreds of shoes but have never dug one of those

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Those shoes were so you could hang your horse up to dry after it's been rode hard. You all should know you don't put a horse away wet. Hence the old saying rode hard and put away wet.

 

[tomclark]

I can't mentally see how they fit on a horse LOL but maybe as someone previously said used temporarily to keep a horse from fully putting weight on that foot/ankle/leg.. while it heals.? Similar to a patent bar shoe?

 

[smallfoot]

I believe it might be a piece of andiron. Horse shoes were made into lots of items after their use on a horse came to an end. Blacksmiths and farriers had plenty laying around ...