This will be great, Salima, if you review the literature -- it's a topic
that needs addressing and I'd love to get your conclusions and/or
bibliography when finished.

As to "which topographies" make hoof protection the most crucial -- it's
not the topography so much as the amount of use that usually prompts the
owner to put shoes on the horse. One situation that calls for horseshoeing
is when travel upon metalled roads becomes common. "Metalled" could mean
either stone-paved, as many Roman roads, or else paved with gravel. I used
to "trail ride" extensively in Kansas and eastern Missouri, where there
are miles of relatively untrafficked roads paved with gravel. Very few
horses can take this type of use -- I used to go 20 miles in about 4 hours
every third day or so -- without shoes. The reason is not so much wear
upon the hoof capsule as the likelihood of bruising of the sole and
sub-solar structures; what the horseshoe does is lift the sole off the
ground that little bit extra that makes all the difference.

The other situation is simply exhaustive use, over whatever type of
terrain; as for example, you might check Darius' famous Persian "pony
express" as well as examples from different cavalries around the world. I
am convinced that the Roman postal or courier service, which during the
high days of the Empire delivered once or twice per day even to remote
outposts such as Vindolanda, used shod horses.

There is also data available from the old (pre-1960) U.S. Cavalry
endurance tests, which are the original basis for the now-Olympic sport of
endurance riding. Endurance competitors and organizations are also pretty
good data-keepers and there is a veterinary literature on the subject.

Good luck with this & please keep us posted -- Dr. Deb

Dear Pam,

thanks so much, and also for the Bates. Now to slowly go back in time to

see when they started up--and which topographies might make protection the

most crucial.

Hope you are thriving.

Best,

Salima

Salima Ikram

Egyptology Unit Head

Professor of Egyptology

American University in Cairo

P. O. Box 74, Road 90, Tagammu 5

New Cairo 11825, EGYPT

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Fax: +20-2-2797-4903

On 13 Nov 2013, at 16:20, [log in to unmask] wrote:

FOWLER, H. N.; 1906; Archaeological News; American Journal of

Archaeology; 10(3):  331-376;  http://www.jstor.org/stable/496987.

355-6- ALISE SAINTE REINE. - Excavations on Mont Auxois. - France great

numbers of nails, Gallic and Roman coins, utensils, fragments of

sculpture, and many fragments of pottery, extending from the La Teine

period to late Roman times, were found. The place was burnt, apparently

about the fifth century after Christ, but afterward rebuilt. Excavations

were recommenced in 1906, and a sort of forge came to light, in the

debris of which were various utensils and a number of horseshoes, which

is an item. of interest in view of the uncertainty which has prevailed

hitherto whether the Gauls and Romans shod their horses or not. Among

other discoveries were various coins, a statuette of Mercury, and a

medallion of Silenus. The site seems to have been precipitately

abandoned at the end of the fourth century, apparently by reason of a

barbarian invasion. (Chron. d. Arts, May 19, 1906, p. 158; C. R. Acad.

Insc. 1906, pp. 201-203; fig.)

BATES, W. N.; 1913; Archaeological News; American Journal of

Archaeology; 17(1):  95-147; Bates1913ArchaeoNewsHorse.pdf;

http://www.jstor.org/stable/497381.

119- AGUILAR DE ANGUITA. - The Excavations of the Marquis of

Cerralbo.--Spain

At Aguilar de Anguita (Guadalajara) he has opened about 2200 graves, and

at Luzaga, 6 km. to the southeast, 1813 more, and in addition 30() other

graves at Arcobriga. The bodies in all of these had been burned and the

ashes deposited in urns. In the women's graves were bracelets, etc., and

in the men's graves weapons. They were chiefly of iron, consisting of

daggers and lances; but bronze disks, adorned with simple geometric

designs and fastened together by means of bands, were used to protect

the chest and back. A curious iron object resembling a collar was

perhaps used to support a woman's headdress. Many pieces of harness were

found, and nine iron horseshoes. Another iron horseshoe has recently

been found on a Hallstatt site near Nancy. The graves probably date from

the fourth century B.C. and later. The weapons show Greek influence, but

no imported objects were found.