In addition to all of the other constructive replies, remember to
consult a farrier!  There were specialized shoes for ice and snow (and
I know South Island has that) as well as specialized shoes for mud.
Horses' feet come in different sizes just like "people feet".  Also, a
good farrier can make specialized shoes for horses with gait problems
other physical problems.  I remember an SHA in New Orleans back in the
early 80s when I walking around swilling beer (in a gentile fashion)
with Karlis Karklins and Rick Sprague and Rick found a special rubber
shoe that the carriage horses had to wear on the streets of New
Orleans.  I was "empowered" to take it back to the Lab of Anthro
comparative collection.

Every artifact category in Historical archaeology comes in sizes and
the sizes often tell you a lot.  Measure everything that don't fight
back and some of the stuff that does!  It was a lot easier the days of
psychedelic archaeology when you could just put the artifact to your
ear and say "speak to me!"

:-)

Smoke


On 8/2/07, Katharine Watson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi all,
> I'm about to analyse an assesmblage of horseshoes (dating from the late
> nineteenth/early twentieth century).  This is an artefact type I haven't
> dealt with before and was wondering what attributes need to be
> recorded.  I'm planning to start with some basic measurements, but don't
> know what to record beyond that, or what the terms for the different
> parts of the horseshoe are.  I've had a look around for some ideas but
> haven't found anything particularly helpful.  Any advice would be much
> appreciated.
> Cheers,
> Katharine
>
> Katharine Watson
> Underground Overground Archaeology Ltd
> 28 Pratt Street
> Christchurch
> New Zealand
>
> 027 656 3985
>


-- 
Smoke Pfeiffer

I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every
form of tyranny over the mind of man.
Thomas Jefferson
(Carved at the base of the dome, interior of the Jefferson Memorial,
Washington, D.C.)