Civil War Hoofpick (replica)

     A very simple little hot-twist hoofpick patterned after a blurry photo in a Civil War history book I saw somewhere. The caption said only that this pick had been taken from the pocket of a dead Confederate cavalryman after the "Battle of Harrisonburg, VA" in 1863 - if my memory serves (it is usually pretty good for unimportant things like this: it's knowing what my bank account is at any given date that throws me for a loss every time…). 
     I made a lot of these and gave them away to friends. I carried one myself in Missy's saddlebags when I used to ride. Non-equestrians should know that horses, particularly unshod horses as was Ol' Miss, often pick up stones in the "frog" of their foot which is a sort of recessed cavity opening on "sole." This can cause them to go lame if not removed, so riders in open country commonly carry a hoof pick, which is just what it appears to be: a recurvate pick that lets you pick out any stone lodged in the hoof. Although I worked iron, and rode my own horse, I did not shoe her, as I would not know how. Shoeing is not an "automatic" bit of knowledge that blacksmiths have, which most people think. In fact most blacksmiths don't shoe at all.

Shoeing is done by farriers. Farriers understand just enough ironworking to be able to work out a pair of hot shoes (if needed). They also can do cold shoes and corrective shoes, etc. They have advanced knowledge of a horse's anatomy and legs - and it is this "medical" expertise combined with some knowledge of smithing that is the basis of their trade.
Movies often show (early) smiths shoeing horses... and that is so. But this was more because in those days smiths were only ones around who could work iron. Obviously in a horse culture, most of them soon acquired detailed knowledge of horses' legs on the job. But in settled communities and modern times, it is travelling farriers who mostly shoe now.