Horseshoe

A shaped plate, usually metal, attached to a horse’s hoof to protect it from wear and injury. Its fit and attachment must protect the hoof without impairing movement or growth.

Equine hoof: The keratinized structure at the end of a horse’s leg, enclosing bones and supporting weight. The shoe rests on the hoof wall, whose shape and condition govern fit.
Keratin: A family of structural proteins that forms hair, nails, feathers, and the outer layers of skin. Keratin forms the hoof wall that bears against the shoe.
Ancient Rome: The civilization centered on Rome that dominated the Mediterranean world for centuries. Roman sources and finds document early forms of hoof protection and equine equipment.
Racing plate: A lightweight horseshoe designed for racehorses, often made from aluminum alloy. Its low weight suits racing, where speed and traction matter.
Barefoot hoof care: The maintenance of horse hooves without attaching shoes. It protects hoof function through trimming rather than a fitted plate.
Farriery: The craft of trimming and balancing horse hooves and fitting horseshoes. Farriers shape and fit shoes to each horse’s hoof and workload.
Laminitis: A painful disease involving inflammation and damage to the laminae connecting the hoof wall to the coffin bone. Hoof disease can change what kinds of shoe support are safe or useful.
Hipposandal: An ancient hoof covering, commonly associated with the Roman world, secured around a horse’s foot rather than nailed on. It shows an early alternative to the nailed horseshoe.
Therapeutic horseshoeing: The use of specialized trimming and shoeing to address a horse’s lameness or hoof disorder. Specialized shoes can alter support or loading when ordinary protection is insufficient.
Glue-on horseshoe: A horseshoe attached to the hoof with adhesive instead of nails. It provides shoe-like protection while avoiding nail holes in the hoof wall.

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