Horse shoe

[JenkinsFerry1864]

I was walking around an area of a civil war skirmish (Skirmish at Guesses Creek) and i found a horse shoe lying on the gravel road a scraper must of dug it up and bent it a bit. Now for some context both the union armies and confederate armies would march up this road in the prelude to the battle of Jenkins ferry. The farm near by has been there since before the war so im wondering is it from either army or just civilian related? I'm interesting in anyone's insight.

 

[Peace Society]

I've picked up a lot of horseshoes on my place, so it could easily be modern (as in up to 1950). That one looks a bit older, so who knows?

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Hard to say. I don't think the design for horseshoes has changed much over the years. Here are some my grandad picked up in the field of our farm. The shoe for a horse is on the left. The shoe for a mule is on the right. The smaller hoof is what made mules more sure footed than horses. That, and the fact they are just smarter

Shoes had to be replaced fairly often. Grandmother painted them black and hung them over the doorways of her house for good luck. I think that was a German thing. https://bouldercountyopenspace.org/i/history/horseshoes/

 

[Sheltowee]

Even if period- I'm not so certain a civilian shoe is distinguishable from a military shoe. Did army farriers use a a unique shoe?

 

[Pollaco]

I asked about horseshoes several weeks ago on another thread. Never did get an answer.

 

[Pollaco]

They had shoes for horses, mules, and ponys, were donkeys ever shod? I'm asking because I came across a very small shoe.

 

[shooter too]

Considering the size vs. your hand, could it be a pony shoe and not one for a horse?

IIRC, there is someone around here that has been a blacksmith and a farrier but his name escapes me.

 

[JenkinsFerry1864]

Considering the size vs. your hand, could it be a pony shoe and not one for a horse?

IIRC, there is someone around here that has been a blacksmith and a farrier but his name escapes me.

my hands are smaller than average for a man but it still is smaller than id expect a horse shoe to be.

 

[Woods-walker]

I was walking around an area of a civil war skirmish (Skirmish at Guesses Creek) and i found a horse shoe lying on the gravel road a scraper must of dug it up and bent it a bit. Now for some context both the union armies and confederate armies would march up this road in the prelude to the battle of Jenkins ferry. The farm near by has been there since before the war so im wondering is it from either army or just civilian related? I'm interesting in anyone's insight.

View attachment 469127

View attachment 469128

I dug plenty in my 60+ years of relic hunting and it's definitely period. It's been bent, so it's possibly a mule shoe, but without a reference to size it I can't say just by a picture.
There were no different in military vs civil shoes

 

[shooter too]

IIRC, there is someone around here that has been a blacksmith and a farrier but his name escapes me.

Now that I have thought upon it, I believe he lives near Gettysburg but that members name still eludes me. Can anyone help a coupla' guys out?