While out walking, I found this old horseshoe and thought I'd research it to see if it is antique or modern. What do you think?
On the hoof side of the horseshoe I found some printing, and concluded that it wasn't of a hand forged era, but possibly could have come from early technology. For some reason the 1930s seemed to come to mind. On the curve of the shoe I made out the letters of Diamond op forged. I later found out that op was the last two letters of the word drop, as in drop-forged. I found #00 on the long left side. It began to appear as though it wasn't an antique, and sure enough it isn't. The #00 horseshoe can still be purchased from the Diamond company today. It was a fun little mystery, and I learned a bit about horseshoes in the process. Here's what I learned:
* Diamond is the largest supplier of horseshoes in the world!
* The horseshoe I found is called a Diamond Special Plain Horseshoe. It has a rounder shape than a classic horseshoe.
* Diamond horseshoes require little shaping, but can be worked hot or cold to fit the front or hind hooves. Now we know!
