Ox Shoe
Ox shoe top showing the tongue to wrap around the hoof
Name/Title
Ox ShoeEntry/Object ID
2025.1.75Description
Two right foot ox shoes.Context
As an ox is cloven footed it needs two shoes for each foot. Generally the front shoe is larger than the rear. Each shoe has 3 -6 nails which go into the outer edge of the foot. The hoof is thinner than a horse so needs shorter nails, 25mm. It was problematic to keep the shoe on the ox and various designs were developed including calkins (the upturned lip at the back of the shoe), toe clips or the most radical like the photographed example with a tongue to wrap around the hoof. The ox normally a docile animal had to be immobilised in a process called 'throwing the ox' before the shoes could be fitted.Category
Animal Husbandry