Shouldering and Horse Hoof Diseases: A Comparative Study in the History of Veterinary Medicine

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of History and Iranology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary and Agriculture, Shab.C., Islamic Azad University, Shabestar, Iran.

3 Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Talegani Hospital, Laboratory Section, Kermanshah, Iran.

10.22091/ethc.2026.13600.1066

Abstract

Objective: Farriers played a crucial role in maintaining equine locomotor health, particularly in the prevention and treatment of hoof diseases, yet their contribution has received limited attention in the history of veterinary medicine. This study investigates historical Persian and Arabic sources, including Fars-nāmeh by Qayyem Nahāvandi, Kāmil al-Ṣināʿatayn, and Awsāf al-Khayl, and compares them with French and German veterinary and farriery texts, including works by Fiaschi, Moorcroft, Lafosse, and Hufbeschlag der Pferde. The study reexamines the historical status of farriers, their technical expertise, and their contribution to the evolution of veterinary medicine.
Materials and Methods: A qualitative approach was adopted using comparative historical analysis, library-based research, and scientific ethnography.
Results: The study analyzes historical terminology related to equine hoof diseases, the diagnostic role of farriers in traditional and modern veterinary practice, and the evolution of therapeutic shoeing and hoof care. The findings reveal that farriers possessed specialized empirical knowledge and played a significant role in the diagnosis and management of hoof disorders.
Conclusion: Farriery was far more than a blacksmithing craft; it represented an essential component of veterinary knowledge concerning equine locomotor disorders. Preserving the historical legacy of farriers, documenting traditional techniques and tools, and integrating this heritage into veterinary education can enhance understanding of the historical development of veterinary medicine.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Al-Damiri, K. A. (2006). Hayat al-haywan. Dar al-Kitab.
Al-Jaafi, M. I. O. (1993). Tawhid Mafzal (M. M. Rezaee, Ed.). Tehran: Jamal.
Al-Shartooni, K. A. S. (1989). Aqrab al-mawarid fi foseha al-arabiah wa al-shavared. Qum: Manshurat Ayatollah al-Marashi al-Najafi.
Ashraf, A. (1980). Mavane'-e rushd-e sarmayehdari dar Iran: Doreh-ye Qajariyeh. Tehran: Zamineh. (in Persian)
Bendrey, R. (2012). From wild horses to domestic horses: A European perspective. World Archaeology, 44(1), 135–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2012.647571
Mcllwraith, C. W. (2013). Effectively diagnosing and treating equine degenerative joint disease [Workshop presentation]. Practical Orthopedic Workshop, Germany.
Christensen, A. (2005). Iran dar zaman-e Sasanian (R. Yasemi, Trans.; 4th ed.). Tehran: Sedaye Moaser. (in Persian)
Clutton-Brock, J. (Ed.). (2014). The walking larder: Patterns of domestication, pastoralism, and predation. London: Routledge.
Dehkhoda, A. (1963). Loghatnameh Dehkhoda. Tehran: Tehran University Press.
Dyson, S. J., & Murray, R. C. (2021). Equine lameness and hoof health: Advances in diagnosis and treatment» Equine Veterinary Journal, 53(4), 567–579.
Ellenberger, W. (1900). Geschichte des Hufbeschlags. Berlin: Paul Parey Verlag.
Estashak, T., & Chery, H. (2003). Lameness in horse (M. M. Uloomi, Ed.). Kerman: Bahonar Kerman University.
Estève, J.-M. (1826). Traité complet du maréchal ferrant. Imprimerie Royale.
Fiaschi, C. (1556). Le maréchal expert. Lyon: Guillaume Rouillé.
Ghadiri, M. (2015). Foot and hoof problem in horse. World of Horse, 3(VET), 33–39.
Ghalghashndi, A. I. A. (1982). Sobh al-ashi fi senaat al-enasha. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kitab.
Ghirshman, R. (2005). Iran az aghaz ta eslam (M. Moin, Trans.). Tehran: Elmi va Farhangi. (in Persian)
Goodwin, D. (2020). Farriery and equine welfare: Historical perspectives on hoof care. Journal of Veterinary History, 47(2), 99–113.
Hinchcliff, K. W., Kaneps, A. J., & Geor, R. J. (2013). Equine sports medicine and surgery: Basic and clinical sciences of the equine athlete (2nd ed.). USA: Elsevier Saunders.
Ibn Abi Hezam, M. I. M. I. A. (1930). Al-khail wa al-baytarah. Tehran University.
Ibn al-Bayṭār, A. B. B. (1993). Kāmil al-ṣināʿatayn fī al-bayṭarah wa al-zardaqah (A. Ibrīq, Ed.). University of Aleppo, Maʻhad al-Turāth al-ʿIlmī al-ʿArabī.
Ibn Bitar, A. I. A. (1991). Kashif ham al-weil fi marifate amraz al-khail (A. Daghagh, Ed.). Dar al-Nafaes.
Ibn Hazil, A. I. R. (1989). Helyat al-forsan wa shoa'r al-shojan (M. A. H., Ed.). Dar al-Maaref.
Ibn Yaqoob, M. I. A. B. I. Q. J. (2006). Al-forosia al-mohammadiah (Z. Ahmad Alnashiri, Ed.). Arabestan, Jaddih: Al-Fiqh al-Islami.
Kane, A. J., Heller, J., & Tanner, P. (2019). Hoof care and biomechanics in performance horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 79, 102–110.
Kelenka, P. (2019). The horse in human history (Vol. 2). USA: Cambridge University Press.
Lafosse, P. (1789). Art du maréchal, ou traité complet de la ferrure des chevaux. Didot.
Maardini, A. B. (n.d.). Ousaaf al-kheil al-arabiah wa ansaboha [Manuscript]. Demashq, Syria: Makatab al-Elm.
McGreevy, P. D., Oddie, C., & Wilson, B. (2022). Cultural dimensions of farriery and equine medicine. Animals, 12(11), 1354–1360.
Mobarak, Q. N. I. (2016). Farasnameh Qayem Nahavandi (A. Azartash, Ed.). Tehran: Ney.
Monbah, V. I. (1993). Siasat al-kheil (A. Ahmad Saleh, Ed.). Paris.
O'Grady, S. E., & Parks, A. H. (2011). Farriery: The basis for hoof health and soundness. Equine Veterinary Education, 23(3), 125–132.
Outram, A. K., Stear, N. A., Bendrey, R., Olsen, S., Kasparov, A., Zaibert, V., Thorpe, N., & Evershed, R. P. (2009). The earliest horse harnessing and milking. Science, 323(5919), 1332–1335. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1168594
Pigulevskaya, N. V. (2001). Tarikh-e Iran-e bastan (M. Izadpanah, Trans.). Tehran: Izadpanah. (in Persian)
Pollitt, C. C. (2010). The anatomy and physiology of the suspensory apparatus of the distal phalanx. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice, 26(1), 29–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2010.01.005
Riahinezhad, M. (2016). Interview with Mahmoud Haddad, Farrier Guild, Isfahan [Unpublished interview]. (in Persian)
Sack, W., Burdas, K., & Rock, S. (2013). Anatomy of the horse (A. Horowitz, Ed.; Vol. 2). Germany: Hanover.
Saffipur Shirazi, A. I. A. (1817). Motahi al-Arab fi loghat al-Arab. India: Mombaii.
Sisson, Y., & Grossman, P. (1984). The anatomy of domestic animals. Shiraz: Nashe Ketab.
Soltanzadeh, H. (1986). Moghadame-i bar tarikh-e shahr va shahneshini dar Iran. Tehran: Abi.
Tahvildar, M. H. (2009). Joghrafia-ye Isfahan (E. Tira, Ed.). Tehran: Akhtaran. (in Persian)
Wolf, H. (1993). Sanaye'-e dasti-ye kohan-e Iran (S. Ebrahimzadeh, Trans.). Tehran: Entesharat va Amuzesh-e Enqelab-e Eslami. (in Persian)
Ziemann, J. (2012). Hufbeschlag der Pferde: Eine Handschrift aus dem Jahr 1816. Hannover: Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics