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…