Until the early 1970s, shaping horseshoes required a solid-fuel/coal forge for more than 1,000 years. Are we on the threshold of another advancement in forging?

The forge was necessary because shoes were either handmade from iron bars or many of the early manufactured shoes were unfinished, long, heel-length shoes. Heel calks, needed for traction, were either forged at the horse or the extra length was removed with hot-

cutting tools. Clips were drawn as needed. The forge was also needed to weld on toe grabs for traction and wear.

The horses used on the streets or in the military wore heavier shoes than today’s sport horses. There was no chance of altering them without heat. Most horses were taken to blacksmith shops, where a large forge was used for shaping and modifying shoes.

Post World War II, the baby-boom generation started keeping horses in their backyards for recreation and sport. Boarding stables flourished as horse ownership became a hobby. The demand for mobile farriers increased. Although the truck-mounted portable coal forge was nothing new, farriers realized that having one was necessary because of the shortage of quality or specialty horseshoes for this emerging market of show and performance horses. The problem was that there were few options available in either shoes or forges.

Portable Forges

Enterprising farriers built their own portable coal forges. The concept is simple: With the few coal forge pots available, put it in a steel box (or a used beer keg), cut a door, attach short legs, hook up an electric blower and a chimney, and you’re in business … if you could find the right type of soft coal. Some improvised by using an old vacuum cleaner as the blower. This author found a 12-volt blower and hooked it up to my truck battery. A cheap rheostat controlled the blower. We drove down the road with a smoldering fire in the back of our trucks. Maybe there was a better way.

Several forward-thinking farriers, such as Ken Mankel, Donald Jones and Dave Willis, thought so. The idea of a portable propane forge would certainly be more practical, and it came to be. Slowly, either coal forges were replaced or farriers previously limited to cold shaping acquired a gas forge.

Induction coils use alternating current to create a magnetic field around a metal object placed within it and rapidly heats it. Victory Tool Co.

There was some early resistance to the gas forge. The early models were slow, noisy and difficult for forge welding. Farriers who were comfortable with a coal fire were not interested. By the mid 1980s, technology had improved enough that the gas forge became widespread, especially as more efficient models were developed.

The advantages of propane as a fuel instead of coal are obvious. Propane can be found everywhere, whereas good, soft coal supplies are limited and inconsistent. Soft coal needs to be burned down and changed to coke to produce a good fire, so it was a constant job to manage the fire properly. Some farriers used coke instead of coal because it is more uniform. Even though a coal fire is easier to forge weld in, it’s also easy to burn up an unattended shoe.

A New Option

While the portable gas forge’s efficiency and performance have constantly improved, it’s been more than 50 years since its introduction. A new option has emerged: The induction electric forge, suitable for farriers. The curve may be like the evolution of the gas forge.

Induction metal heating is nothing new. It has been used many ways in industry and tool shops. It works by using an alternating current (AC) to rapidly cycle a magnetic field around a metal object. Eddy currents are established inside the metal object, which produce heat because of the metal’s resistance. It’s a rapid process.

Basically, there are two forms of this process. One common method is a coil hooked up to the induction unit. Induction coils are available in many sizes and shapes. The process works by holding the object to be heated inside the coil. Shortly, the object will glow orange hot. The other method resembles the familiar gas forge and is basically an electric oven. The heating time is slower than the coil but similar to that of a gas forge. Shop units are large and run on 220 volts.

Like the progression of using a gas forge from coal, the electric forge may slowly become mainstream in time. The obvious advantages are not having to carry an explosive gas in your truck and using the client’s energy to power it. Additionally, this heating method is a precise way to harden and temper knives and other tools.

The electric forge is also quiet. Using an induction coil specifically designed for a horseshoe can only work on one shoe at a time. Currently, there are no 110-volt units that will heat the whole horseshoe, only small portions.

Electric forges offer the convenience of propane forges without the dangers of explosive gas in your truck or uses the client’s energy to power it. Forgelec

While shaping shoes with an induction coil is less convenient, the heating cycle is fast, and you are holding the shoe while it’s heated, similar to working an aluminum shoe with heat. According to Dripping Springs, Texas, farrier Austin Edens, the induction coil, plugged into a 110-volt outlet, is insufficient for practical shoe shaping. It can possibly be used for drawing a quick clip or a heel modification.

That brings us to the induction oven, which may be practical in certain situations. These ovens run on 220-volt power, so that needs to be available. Many modern stables may have a laundry room for washing horse blankets and wraps. Electric dryers run off 220 volts, so if the shoeing area is near that, an extension cord can solve the problem. A dedicated 220-volt outlet could also be wired to the shoeing area if this concept becomes popular. If a farrier were shoeing multiple horses, this may be ideal since shoes can be heated simultaneously. Once the electric forge reaches operating temperature, the heating time is similar to a gas forge but quiet and clean.

One hundred years ago, some people thought horses might become extinct, replaced by cars, trucks and tractors. The horse is still here; however, what we use them for has changed, and so have the technologies. The ancient art of farriery has changed little, but our materials and methods will constantly evolve.