A horse in the wild needs no shoes, the wear and tear that the feet are subjected to while the horse is hunting for his food in the country on soft meadows, is just right to keep the hoofs down in a normal condition. But when the horse is stabled and ridden, travelling on hard roads or paved streets, the horse must be shod to prevent foot wear which nature cannot recuperate. Horseshoes were first made of iron in 480 A. D. Before that time, and even after horseshoes have been made of leather and other materials.

Did You Know?

Race horses wear special lightweight shoes known as plates.  These are made of aluminium rather than the typical iron horse shoe