1. Introduction
This report will focus on the material and physical properties of a horseshoe. Each horse, down to each
individual hoof has specific needs when it comes to footwear including size, shape, age, sensitivity and the
gait of the horse. Moreover, the type of terrain the horse walks on also takes a toll on the shoe. Horses can’t
speak to us, so we have to figure it out by ourselves, what works and what doesn’t. Therefore, it is of great
importance to consider what type of materials are optimal for making horseshoes.
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2. History of a horseshoe
As a concept, the horseshoe has been present for thousands of years. While the first shoes used by
ancient Asian and Roman riders were made of leather to protect the hooves from wear and tear, the technology
developed over the centuries to include metal. By the year 1000 A.D., nailed-on cast bronze shoes were
common in Europe, and by the 14th century, iron shoes were generally in use. Like every other kind of
technology, the fastest changes have been seen in the last century, and we now have access to shoes of a
variety of different materials, shapes and functions.
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3. How footwear for horses is produced
A farrier is someone who makes horseshoes and carefully applies them. A horse's hoof has a hard outer
wall like a fingernail, only much thicker. The farrier attaches the horseshoe to this wall with heat and lead
nails. The horse feels no pain because the nails don't reach the sensitive tissues inside.
Horses get new shoes about every five weeks. After removing the old ones the farrier uses a file to trim
the wall’s growth since the last change. Afterwards, the farrier measures the hoof’s contour, marks the
measurement on a steel bar and cuts it to size with a rotary saw. He heats the bar until the middle part is whitehot and pliable. Then the bar is dipped in water to cool. The farrier hammers the ends to redistribute the metal
towards the middle. This widens and thickens the part of the horseshoe that gets the most wear, since the front
of the hoof hits the ground first and hardest. After reheating the bar he hammers it again, this time with no
cooldown. Using a drafting compass the farrier gauges two grooves for nails to go through. The nails won't
protrude when they're embedded in the grooves, these areas will also fill with dirt to give the horse traction.
The farrier rounds the sharp edges of the horseshoe so the animal won't cut itself when it's lying down.
Like the hooves, the front and back shoes are differently shaped. The front pair are rounder, the back
one's more oval, because the horse's hind hooves have evolved to dig into the ground for traction. The farrier
also hammers part of both curves, flattening the edges into raised sides, called clips. These help the shoe fit
onto the hoof. When it is time to attach the shoe, the farrier slips on the shoe, then gently hammers as many
as three nails into each side. The farrier also hammers the hoof against a template to stabilize the shoe. Next
he files the hoof, so that it meets the angle of the shoe and finally the horse is ready to stroll.
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4. Common types of horseshoes
The regular horseshoe is what the vast majority of horses wear. This shoe has the ability to support the
hoof and protect it under regular riding circumstances. These shoes suffice most horses’ footwear needs.
Fig.
A rim shoe is quite similar to the regular horseshoe. It’s only difference is the deep, wide groove through
the middle. This groove allows the horse to get a little more traction. Rim shoes are made for sports that require
speed and quick turns, like roping or barrel racing.
Fig.
Bar shoes have additional weight on the back part of the shoe developed for increased support in the
back of the hoof, heel, or leg. A straight bar is often used for heel support, and it can also help hold the hoof
together if excessive hoof movement is counter-indicated, which might be the case in a hoof injury.
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Fig.
An egg bar shoe provides a lot of support to the back part of the hoof and leg by extending beyond the
heel. It is often used for horses with navicular disease. The egg bar that is pictured here is made of
aluminum, which is lighter-weight and easier to add some wedge to, if the heels need to be raised.
Fig.
Heart bar shoes offer the same advantages of the other bar shoes, only with the addition of frog support,
as well. These are often used for horses with laminitis, and one can add pads or stand-alone packing materials
to fill the gaps between the hoof and the frog support.
Fig.
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5. Fitting materials for horseshoe
Steel or aluminium are the most common materials for making horseshoes, when choosing between
these materials a lot of considerations needs to be made such as what function will the horseshoe will do and
what type of horse do you have. The material of which you make a horseshoe makes a very big impact of how
a horse performs. While deciding what metal to put on the hoof, the ground on which the horse will walk or
run needs to be taken into account, for example horses which walk on pavements on road need a more hardwearing shoe. But for racing horses it more common to have aluminium horseshoes because it is lighter and
the horses race on soft surfaces. One more thing that has to consider is the structure of the hoof. Steel
horseshoes are not very friendly to horses which have thin-walled hooves, these hooves prefer aluminium.
Because the lighter metal puts less stress on the hoof. Horse owners found out that steel horseshoes wear down
less quickly and the shoes need to be changed less frequently which means that the hoof wears down less.
a. Steel horseshoes
Steel is one of the most common horseshoe materials nowadays. It is widely used due to its acceptable
properties and availability. Steel tends to be preferred in sports in which a strong, long-wearing shoe is needed.
The steel should withstand long hours of constant pressure of the horse weight, as well as momentarily stress
of impact as horse walks or runs. Moreover, it would be preferable for steel not to corrode, as rust may infect
potential injury in horse’s leg. Steel that suits all the needed properties is 410 stainless steel. The composition
of the 410 steel can be seen in the table (1). 410 is hard stainless steel of similar mechanical properties of A36,
a popular mild steel that is widely used in making horseshoes. A36 density - 7,800 kg/m3, Young‘s modulus
200 GPa, Yield strength – 250 MPa and tensile strength is 400 – 550 MPa. The properties of 410 stainless
steel: density 7650 – 7850 kg/m3, Young‘s modulus 190 – 210 GPa, Yield strength is 205 – 260 MPa and the
tensile strength is 485 – 690 MPa. Looking at the numbers, it looks like the tensile strength can get
considerably higher in the 410 steel, which ensures longer lasting of the horseshoe. Moreover, the 410 stainless
steel has rather good endurance limit (0,48 – 0,53 of the tensile strength), which results in ability to withstand
quite good constant stress without causing fatigue failure.
Average mass of the race horse is about 500 kilograms. The weight of such horse if g = 9.81 m/s 2 is
4905 N. As weight is divided to four legs of the horse, weight to one leg should be 1226.25 N. As the area of
the hoof is about 0.007 m2, and calculated part of the horseshoed hoof is 57%, horseshoe area should be 0.004
𝑤
1226.25
m2. The stress applied to the horseshoe is 𝑝 = 𝐴 = 0.004 = 3.07. 105 𝑃𝑎. The steel horseshoe can withstand
much bigger stress, therefore, it should last a long time.
Chemical composition
Standart
C
Si
Mn
P
S
0,15
1
1
0,04
0,03
Cr
11,5∼ 13,5
Table . Chemical composition of the 410 stainless steel
b. Aluminium horseshoes
At standard pressure and temperature, aluminium atoms tend to form a face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal
system bound by metallic bonding provided by the Al atoms outermost electrons.
As we know, aluminium is a very light material, but a rather soft metal compared to the others. This
implies that it would be needed to change more often than horseshoes of other materials. The advantage of
aluminium horseshoe is its weight. The lightweight metal reduces the fatigue of the horse. These kind of
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horseshoes reduce the amount of vibration that moves up the leg of the horse and this material tends to wear
out at approximately the same rate as the foot of the horse grows. What is more, aluminium is known to be
able to resist corrosion, due to passivation, which is caused from aluminium having low density. Cons of these
horseshoes if the aluminium is left on the hoof for a long time after is has worn out it can do severe damage
to foot of the horse. It is not a big concern to make an aluminium horseshoe, because this metal is very common
in our planet, it makes up about 8% of the Earth’s crust. So the price of aluminium horseshoes could vary at
about 20-30€.
The basic aluminium mechanical properties are:
Fig.
The chosen alloy of aluminium is aluminium 3003-H18. Since a horseshoe has only one continuous
component and no sub-components that means that we only need to know the properties of aluminium 3003H18. The components of this alloy are:
Fig.
It’s mechanical properties at 25ºC: Tensile strength, Ultimate – 200MPa, Tensile strength, Yield –
185MPa, Elongation at break – 10%.
Other mechanical properties:
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Fig.
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6. Conclusions and new perspectives
In summary, there is no material that is simply best in any way for making horseshoe. As horses work
on huge variety of different terrains, they require materials of different properties that would suit their need
the best.
Steel shoes tend to highlight knee action, while aluminium shoes allow horse to stretch more through
the shoulders. It is important for show horses, who have to move certain way. In work, that requires knee
action, steel is preferable material, while lighter and more ductile aluminium is better, if lower momentarily
stress is applied. However, teaching the horse to walk properly could be as important as proper horseshoes.
Plastic shoes, that have been on the market for 20 years are usually made from polyurethane
compound. Manufacturers claim they reduce concussion and are better to the horse due to light weight. They
improve traction as well. Like other types of horseshoes, plastic ones come in a variety of shapes and
manufacturers claim that their shoes are healthier for the horses. They usually are fitted traditional way, but
can often be glued, which is a bonus for horses who have thin walls, as no nails are applied.
This new technology uses a synthetic material of similar properties as the horn of a horse’s hoof and
casts it onto the hoof. The material may also contain additional parts of metals to improve stability. They are
usually used for horses that tend to lose their horseshoes easily. As the technology is not perfect, it is
expected to improve over the upcoming years.
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7. References
Sources available online:
1. http://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=MA6061T6
2. https://www-sciencedirectcom.ezproxy.ktu.edu/science/article/pii/S0263823117311497?via%3Dihub
3. http://www.matweb.com/search/datasheettext.aspx?matguid=91c99440833341fc8fbe1d26149bc35e
4. http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Horseshoe.html
5. https://www.azom.com/properties.aspx?ArticleID=970
6. https://www.jawaysteel.com/410-Stainless-Steel-Seamless-Pipe-with-High-Quality.htm
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