Under the Emperor Michael of Constantinople (1038) the horses of the Greek cavalry were shod. The Sicilian horses also at that period had their hoofs protected in this manner.
The Arabs themselves say their first farriers came to them from towns on the sea-board: such as Fez, Tunis, Masarca, Tlemcen, and Constantine, since when their knowledge and their calling have been perpetuated in certain families from generation to generation.
The practice of shoeing among these people is curious, and would almost indicate an independent origin, as well as a high antiquity. Contrary to the accepted opinion, says General Daumas,[1] the Arabs of the Sahara are in the custom of shoeing their horses, whether on the two fore-feet, or on all four, according to the nature of the ground they occupy. Those who shoe them on all four feet are the inhabitants of the stony districts, and these constitute the majority. It is the universal practice to take the shoes off in the spring, when the animals are turned out to grass; the Arabs asserting that care must be taken not to check the renewal of the blood which takes place at that season of the year.
The horse-shoes are kept ready made, and always command a sure sale, the Arabs being in the habit of laying in their supply for the whole year, consisting of four sets for the fore-feet, and four for the hind-feet. The nails are likewise made by the farriers. When a horseman goes to a farrier, taking his shoes with him, the latter is paid by his privileges, and when the horse is shod, its master gets on its back, merely saying: 'Allah, have mercy on
- ↑ Les Chevaux du Sahara. Paris, 1862.
