Preceden

History of Horseshoes Timeline

(c. 400 BCE–Present)

The history of horseshoes traces how people developed hoof protection for working, military, and sporting horses, leading to modern farriery. Less

Build a timeline like this one in minutes, for free. Start Yours →

Go to: Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Ancient evidence

Etruscan tomb dated to around 400 BC

400 BC

The Etruscan tomb containing four bronze horseshoes was dated to approximately 400 BC, providing early archaeological evidence associated with horseshoe-like hoof protection.

Image source: Etruscan civilization

Etruscan tomb dated to around 400 BC

Bronze horseshoes found at Tournai

400 - 499

A complete horseshoe with nails was found in the tomb of the Frankish King Childeric I at Tournai, Belgium.

Image source: Childeric I

Bronze horseshoes found at Tournai

Childeric I horseshoe included nails

400 - 499

The horseshoe found in Childeric I’s tomb was notable because it was complete and included nails, illustrating an early nailed horseshoe.

Etruscan horseshoes discovered

1897

In 1897, four bronze horseshoes with what appear to be nail holes were discovered in an Etruscan tomb dated to around 400 BC.

Medieval development

Dunstan legend gave horseshoe superstition a Christian twist

900 - 999

The superstition surrounding horseshoes acquired a Christian dimension through a legend about the tenth-century saint Dunstan, who worked as a blacksmith before becoming Archbishop of Canterbury.

Image source: Dunstan

Dunstan legend gave horseshoe superstition a Christian twist

Dunstan worked as a blacksmith

900 - 999

According to the legend associated with horseshoe superstition, Dunstan practiced blacksmithing before his later career as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Dunstan became Archbishop of Canterbury

900 - 999

The saint Dunstan later became Archbishop of Canterbury, a role central to the Christian version of the horseshoe legend.

Cast bronze horseshoes spread in Europe

1000 AD

Around 1000 AD, cast bronze horseshoes with nail holes became common in Europe.

Bronze horseshoes gained nail holes

1000 AD

The European horseshoes that became common around 1000 AD were cast from bronze and incorporated holes for nails.

Written sources mention horseshoes

1096 - 1270

Written references to horseshoes became frequent during the Crusading period, from 1096 to 1270.

Horseshoes widespread during the Crusades

1096 - 1270

By the time of the Crusades, horseshoes were widespread and were frequently mentioned in written sources.

Image source: Crusades

Horseshoes widespread during the Crusades

Iron horseshoes forged in large quantities

1200 - 1299

By the 13th century, iron horseshoes were being forged in large quantities.

Ready-made horseshoes sold

1200 - 1299

By the 13th century, horseshoes could be purchased ready made rather than being produced individually for every horse.

Iron horseshoes manufactured widely

1200 - 1399

The 13th and 14th centuries brought widespread manufacturing of iron horseshoes, strengthening the role of iron in hoof protection.

Castle collection acquired medieval horseshoes

1400 - 1499

Over the centuries, a castle amassed a large collection of horseshoes, with the oldest examples dating from the 15th century.

Oldest castle horseshoes dated to the 15th century

1400 - 1499

The oldest horseshoes in the castle collection date from the 15th century, providing material evidence for the continuing history of horseshoe use.

Hot shoeing became common

1500 - 1599

Hot shoeing, the process of shaping a heated horseshoe immediately before placing it on a horse, became common in the 16th century.

No Foot, No Horse published

1751

A treatise titled No Foot, No Horse was published in England in 1751, reflecting the importance of hoof care and horseshoes.

Chinese horseshoes

Zhu Fan Zhi implied Chinese horses lacked iron shoes

1225

Zhao Rukuo’s account implies that horses in China did not yet commonly use metal horseshoes when Zhu Fan Zhi was completed.

Zhao Rukuo described foreign metal shoes

1225

Zhao Rukuo wrote in Zhu Fan Zhi, finished in 1225, that Arabian and Persian horses used metal horseshoes.

Iron horseshoes remained uncommon for centuries

1271 - 1571

Although iron horseshoes became more common in Yuan China, iron horseshoes generally did not become common for another three centuries.

Iron horseshoes became common in Yuan China

1271 - 1368

Iron horseshoes became common in China during the Yuan dynasty, which lasted from 1271 to 1368.

Image source: Yuan dynasty

Iron horseshoes became common in Yuan China

Yuan dynasty established

1271

After the establishment of the Yuan dynasty in 1271, iron horseshoes became more common in northern China.

Iron horseshoes spread in northern China

1271

The rise of the Yuan dynasty was followed by increased use of iron horseshoes in northern China.

Modern manufacturing

Marsh horseshoes prevented sinking

1800 - 1899

Canadian marsh horseshoes helped horses avoid sinking into soft intertidal mud while working on dikes.

Marsh horseshoes used in Canada

1800 - 1899

In mid-19th-century Canada, marsh horseshoes were used during dike-building projects.

First U.S. horseshoe-machine patent issued

1835

The 1835 patent was the first U.S. patent for a machine specifically described as capable of manufacturing horseshoes.

Burden machine reached 60 shoes per hour

1835

Henry Burden’s patented machine was capable of making up to 60 horseshoes per hour, representing a major increase in manufacturing capacity.

Henry Burden patented horseshoe machine

1835

In 1835, Henry Burden received the first U.S. patent for a horseshoe manufacturing machine.

1847 machine’s throughput remained unspecified

1847

The 1847 horseshoe-machine patent did not provide information about the machine’s throughput or its advantage over earlier designs.

Second horseshoe-machine patent granted

1847

Another U.S. patent for a “Horshoe-machine” was granted in 1847.

Build a timeline like this one in minutes, for free. Start Yours →

Key Facts

  1. Ancient peoples used temporary hoof coverings made from leather, rawhide, and woven materials before nailed horseshoes became common.
  2. The Romans used metal hipposandals, protective hoof boots that fastened around the hoof, although these were not identical to modern nailed shoes.
  3. By the early Middle Ages, nailed iron horseshoes were increasingly used in Europe, especially as horses worked on hard roads and carried riders or heavy loads.
  4. Medieval and early modern farriers shaped horseshoes by heating and hammering iron, adapting each shoe to the horse's hoof.
  5. Modern horseshoes may be made from steel, aluminum, or synthetic materials, and farriers select them according to a horse's work, hoof condition, and conformation.

Source

This History of Horseshoes timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free