Glenn Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 They make ice shoes for a horse in order to improve traction. Please describe the ice shoe and how it is made. Do they not also make a snow shoe for a horse to improve traction in the snow? How is it made and different from an ice shoe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 As I remember there is a pad installed to keep snow and ice building up around the frog---Charles you've dealt with horses have you run into that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I've been away from horseshoeing for quite a few years, but for horses used in the snow, I used to put on a regular shoe with a "bubble pad." In my day, I think the pads were full and made of rubber with a partial convex "ball" formed into center of the pad. This was supposed to move by compression and expansion to pop packed snowballs out of the hoof bottom. Nowadays the pads may be made of flexible plastic. Something I have not used is the currently made tube-type rim pad which your search engine can find. It is supposed to be pretty good. The shoes are not necessarily special, but the pads are. Snowball buildup on the hoof bottoms can cause unbalanced hooves and legs and can therefore be dangerous. In the good old days, blacksmiths used to make all iron or steel "snowball knockers," small hammers with one of the faces pyramidal-pointed. On the small handle end, there was sometimes a spring snap for attaching the hammer to the driving harness. Every now and then, the horse(s) were halted while the driver got out and knocked the packed snowballs off with his hammer. Some people have collections of snowball knockers, considered antiques. I don't think there is an ice shoe manufactured, but I could be wrong. In the early days, horses used on ice were "sharp shod." This would be a hand turned shoe with tapered wedge-like heel and toe calks. The medial calk would be sharpened in the horse's line of stride. The lateral calk would be at right angles to the line of stride. The toe calk was forge welded on and sharpened in a toe calk welding die. These dies sometimes had a hardie shank or some old step vises had the vee shaped dies built in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 There's a fascinating account of "horse snowshoes" in this article from Snowshoe Magazine, which also covers their possible role in the failure of Robert F. Scott's fatal Antarctic expedition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Look up calks or caulks and horseshoes (both spellings are used). Some people pronounce them as "corks"...which is why the logging shoes with cleats are referred to as "corks". You might also look up "sharp shoeing" or "sharp shod" horses to find some more. But yes, horseshoes were commonly made with cleats for ice and frozen ground. They still are but the calks are done a little differently than they were in days gone by. The article referencing horse snowshoes as well as others can be a bit interesting. Pack mules also commonly used snowshoes. When you see them you wonder how the heck the animal can adapt to walking in those. At least a human can "walk funny" to compensate for snowshoes but you'd think a horse or mule would be a battle to train to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seldom (dick renker) Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 i have also used borium brazed onto a regular shoe and used along with the snoball pads that Frank was talking about. Borium comes in a coarse grain and a fine grain. coarse grain is best for snow and ice, literaly no slippage. fine grain best for excessive wear areas. Borium is some really tough stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Been many years but I have seen horse snowshoes in the mining museum in Rossland BC. If I remember right they were 10-12 inches in diameter. but I don't remember and harness for attaching them to the hooves, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Shoes for caulks were last I knew still made esp. for heavy horses. The ones I have somewhere in my shop have two holes in the toe area and one each side of the heels and caulks were driven into the holes. I have also seem some that the holes were threaded and the caulks were as well so they could be taken out if the horses were not going to be used for a time. These caulks would raise up the foot an inch or more and have the horse balance on these 4 points when on hard floors like the barn or truck going to the woods. They were sharp and would tear the floors of the stalls up and the truck or trailer floors. they of course had pads of leather under them, before the days of the plastic bubble pads. Horses were stopped and had their feet checked before going in the barn or truck as they would ball up and slide across the floor, with these sharp caulks aiming at everyone in sight. We had the little snow hammers on all the teams on their hames and used regular during the day. Regular horses that are kept shod during the winter have the pads and welded borum on the toes and heels for added traction on ice days even in the pasture but again all should be stopped before going in the barn and cleaned out. I've heard of horses severely injured sliding on the floors and falling. Even unshod horses in winter will ball up and slide on the floors can't be too careful in winter. Like the snow hammer we always had hoof picks hanging by the barn door and when I finished cleaning the farm out I took them down and brought them with me I'll rehang them by this barn door as soon as they reappear. Somewhere on here I posted pictures of tractor chains made from old caulked heavy horse shoes that I picked up. In cleaning out a couple old barns I've found and kept boxes of caulks again lord knows where after the recent move. I've seen in museums horse snow shoes of wood with wire/light strapping type holders to go around the hoof??? Never have talked with anyone who used them or saw them used. I also doubt I've ever owned a horse that would have put up with that, I figure one step and instead of the cow jumping over the moon it would have been a horse on his way to the moon. Pictures I have of teams hitched to the road snow roller of old they didn't have anything. Our winter ox shoes had rolled heels and toe pieces for ice/traction but we tried to keep the oxen off anything that was ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 6 minutes ago, notownkid said: I've seen in museums horse snow shoes of wood with wire/light strapping type holders to go around the hoof??? I think they have some examples at the Shelburne Museum. I have a copy of their "Blacksmith and Farrier Tools" book out from the library; I'll check when I get home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 I'm sure they do as well, I have that book. Headed to CT for Christmas today so will be away from the library. Have a great Weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Drive in or screw in calks are common these days, as is the use of Pam cooking spray instead of ice hammers and pads. Easy care boots can be fitted with calks as well, no isues with ice build up then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 On 12/22/2016 at 8:37 AM, JHCC said: I think they have some examples at the Shelburne Museum. I have a copy of their "Blacksmiths' and Farriers' Tools" book out from the library; I'll check when I get home. Here are the relevant pages: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 the wooden blank ones on the bottom are the ones I've seen in a number of NE Museums. I don't think I've ever had a horse that would have enjoyed these. Seen enough so some must have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Geist Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 There have been many variations over the years. What most of us are doing currently is using the rim pads as Mr Turley described in conjunction with drive in studs as mentioned by Mr Stevens. Other methods are sometimes employed but this has proven to be the best. Shoe pictured at the top left is an example of what I'm talking about: https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrBT8bL7GFYTXsAmRxXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyNm5xcjJ1BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjMyNDZfMQRzZWMDc2M-?p=Ice+Shoeing+Horses&fr=chrf-yff17 George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Geist Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Without a doubt some of the best examples of winter shoeing can be found at the famous White Turf in St Moritz Switzerland where horses are raced over a frozen lake. They also have polo matches on the ice as well. Is a real interesting but very expensive deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNewman Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 They have an annual polo match on the frozen lake at Mont Tremblant in Quebec as well. It was on while I was there last winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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