Heart shaped horshoe-Whatzits function??

[Darkflight]

Never found another like it & only a few popped up on my searches...

My wife likes it as a romantic relic. I like it as its old & crusty...But what was the purpose of the closed loop if any?

 

[Ant]

It looks like a bent horseshoe on my cell phone.

 

[Darkflight]

Not bent & it was "thrown"-there are still nails in it.

And the shape is hammered/forged flat together at the "V".

So this is its intended shape. The other side has the atypical toe ridge to keep the hoof from sliding forward.

 

[dave5710]

It might be so your "luck" doesn't run out.

 

[Ant]

If I made something like that I would use it with a chain and or maybe a hook or toungs to lift, pull, tow, plough, etc. Dave has a good guess. I can't see how it could have been designed to fit a horse, mule or oxen.

 

[Aarong81]

It's an egg-bar shoe or 'Bar Shoe' and was meant to be closed in the back. The portion pointing inwards protects the horses frog and keeps pressure off of it. Bar shoes immobilize the foot to prevent excessive movement and repair hoof damage such as splits and cracks but they also have several other therapeutic purposes.

 

[Darkflight]

You Da Man!

I grew up with horses & even had a farrier friend. But I had never seen another like it.

Thanks again...

 

[BillF]

I think they used to be popular in Europe but I don't know that for fact.

 

[Overvoltage]

I have horses and agree, it is an egg-bar shoe. If you google it there are many images there of examples.

 

[senda]

orthopedic footwear for horses? has logic ... but I think it's a lucky horseshoe with extra load powerfull
Good hunt!

 

[sjohn61]

Found several of them around an old military horse barn...made for larger horses.