A caulkin (or ''caulk''; US spelling "calkin" or "calk") from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

'' calx'' (the

heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exer ...

) is a blunt projection on a

horseshoe A horseshoe is a fabricated product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human ...

or oxshoe that is often forged, welded or brazed onto the shoe."Know Foot Know Horse", knowfootknowhorse.com, 2008, webpage
KnowFKH-20
"Farrier Competition Results 2008", Forge and Farrier, UK, 2008, webpage

/ref> The term may also refer to traction devices screwed into the bottom of a horseshoe, also commonly called shoe studs or screw-in calks. These are usually a blunt spiked cleat, usually placed at the sides of the shoe.

Use

Caulkins or studs improve a horse's balance and grip over uneven or slippery terrain, allowing the animal to move better and jump more confidently in poor footing. Screw in calks are most often seen in speed sports, such as

eventing Eventing (also known as three day eventing or horse trials) is an equestrian event where a single horse and rider combine and compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This ...

polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small ha ...

, and

show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes ...

, although they are sometimes used for

dressage Dressage ( or ; a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined by ...

. Forged caulks of various styles are more often seen on

race horses Race Horses were a Welsh band based in Cardiff, Wales and originally from Aberystwyth. Formed in 2005 as Radio Luxembourg, they changed their name in 2009 due to possible legal problems with the radio station of the same name. Initially the ...

and

working animals A working animal is an animal, usually domesticated, that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks instead of being slaughtered to harvest animal products. Some are used for their physical strength (e.g. oxen and draft horses) or for ...

such as

draft horse A draft horse (US), draught horse (UK) or dray horse (from the Old English ''dragan'' meaning "to draw or haul"; compare Dutch ''dragen'' and German ''tragen'' meaning "to carry" and Danish ''drage'' meaning "to draw" or "to fare"), less oft ...

s and some

packhorse A packhorse, pack horse, or sumpter refers to a horse, mule, donkey, or pony used to carry goods on its back, usually in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of ...

s and

trail horse Trail riding is riding outdoors on trails, bridle paths, and forest roads, but not on roads regularly used by motorised traffic. A trail ride can be of any length, including a long distance, multi-day trip. It originated with horse riding, and ...

s, though in some areas they are still seen on

field hunter Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a gra ...

s and other riding horses that have to work in all weather and require extra traction, such as

police horse Mounted police are police who patrol on horseback or camelback. Their day-to-day function is typically picturesque or ceremonial, but they are also employed in crowd control because of their mobile mass and height advantage and increasingly in t ...

Designs

Permanent designs

Traditionally, the prongs of an elongated horseshoe (commonly not more than ) have tips bent at an

acute angle In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays, called the '' sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the ''vertex'' of the angle. Angles formed by two rays lie in the plane that contains the rays. Angles ar ...

opposite to the surface attached to the horses'

hoof The hoof (plural: hooves) is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, which is covered and strengthened with a thick and horny keratin covering. Artiodactyls are even-toed ungulates, species whose feet have an even number of digits, yet the rum ...

. Traditionally, a

farrier A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adj ...

employs a

forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...

in hot-shoeing to heat the two heel prongs to red hot and bends them by hammering prongs over a right-angle to bend into an

. Occasionally, another caulkin is on the toe of the shoe and integrally formed in the initial forging process For a horseshoe built as a concave caulk and wedge shoe, the 2 prongs differ:"Know Foot Know Horse – Concave Caulk and Wedge", knowfootknowhorse.com, 2008, webpage
KnowFKH-226
(see caulkin/wedge horseshoe photo on webpage). one prong ends with a caulkin, and the other prong ends with a wedge (with both facing downward to the ground). That caulk/wedge horseshoe is a traditional British hunting shoe, and it has been used to provide the horse with a sure-footed grip when working at a fast pace over uneven ground. The shapes of the caulkin and the wedge have been designed to provide hoof traction, meanwhile ensuring the horse's safety is not compromised. The caulk/wedge horseshoe design has been recognised by the

Worshipful Company of Farriers The Worshipful Company of Farriers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Farriers, or horseshoe makers, organised in 1356. It received a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1674. Over the years, the Company has evolved from ...

as being an appropriate specimen horseshoe to be used for the diploma exam. Another way caulkins are applied is for borium to be brazed onto the surface of the shoe. Usually borium is placed at the heels and toe, either in small knobs for maximum grip, or in small rough patches for extra traction and to prevent wear on the shoe.

Screw-in calks

For use of screw-in calks or studs, horseshoes are "tapped", or drilled, on either heel of the shoe, so that different studs may be applied as needed and changed according to the footing conditions and the type of work performed by the horse. Therefore, a horse may have a maximum of 8 studs (2 per foot). Studs come in several sizes and types. Screw-in calks or studs are popular in sport competition because they can be changed to adapt to different terrain. However, the size and design of stud must be carefully selected, as the wrong stud will be useless and can damage the horse's legs. Too little traction, and the horse may slip and possibly fall. Too much, and the horse is jarred, as his feet cannot naturally slip (which is a shock-absorption mechanism). Additionally, the more stud used, the greater chance the shoe may be pulled off. Usually, if there is doubt, it is considered best to slightly understud. In general, the faster the pace, the larger the stud will be used. Therefore, small studs are used for dressage and lower-level jumping or eventing, and larger studs are used for polo and upper-level eventing. Studs with more of a point are used for hard ground, and those that have more circumference are used in "heavier" footing, such as thick mud. A hoof pick or horseshoe nail can help remove the plug prior to insertion of a screw-in stud. A special instrument called a T-tap is used to clean out the stud holes before the stud is screwed in, or it can be used to re-tap the stud hole if the threads are damaged. Additionally, a small metal brush can be used to help clean threads which are especially dirty. A wrench is used to tighten or loosen the studs. Crampons equitation

Frost nails

Frost nails can be used in the place of studs for a few different reasons. Originally they were created to be used in icy conditions for extra traction and stability. However, they can also be used in various equine competitions for better traction on footing such as wet and slippery conditions. The head of the nail is sharper than regular nails and is wedge shaped.

Safety

Caulkins forged into the shoe which are not removable pose an increased risk of injury to handler or horse should the horse step on or kick a person, itself, or another animal. When

stable A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...

d, animals wearing caulkins need extra bedding to avoid abrasion when lying down and for protection while moving about in a confined area. When working, leg protection in the form of

bell boots Bell boots, or overreach boots, are a type of protective boot worn by a horse. They encircle the horse's ankle, and protect the back of the pastern and the heels of the animal. Uses of bell boots Bell boots are usually worn to prevent overreachi ...

and

splint boots Brushing boots or splint boots are used to protect a horse's legs during exercise, protecting the lower leg from injury that may occur if one leg or hoof strikes the opposite leg. They are commonly seen on horses in fast work, such as jumping, wh ...

or polo wraps may minimize the risk of injury. Screw-in studs are often longer and sharper than permanent caulkins and thus are removed when the horse is not working. The hole for the stud is plugged with cotton, rubber plugs, or a stud blank so dirt does not ruin the threads of the hole. Due to risk of injury, horses are not shipped in studs or left unattended with studs screwed in. Pointed studs, such as grass studs or pointed bullets are generally placed only on the outside of the shoe, so the horse is less likely to cut himself should his foot hit one of his legs. Road stud can be used on the inside or outside of a shoe. However, the shoe should have some stud on the inside of the shoe; without it, there will be a twisting motion on the foot, which can cause a loss of shoe, and possibly strain the legs. Most riders place smaller studs on the front feet, because the horse's hind legs are stronger and generally require more traction.

Notes

References

* Horseshoes.co

accessed August 4, 2008. * "Forge and Farrier"

accessed August 4, 2008. * Farrier Sourc

accessed August 4, 2008.

External links

Historical development of the horseshoe
1891

Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it ...

article from

Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital libr ...

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