Horses were widely used before and during the First World War by Cavalry, Artillery and Service Corps personnel before mechanization. Approximately 25,000 horses and mules were used overseas by Canada in the 1WW. Keeping a horse’s hooves cleaned was an important part of keeping a horse healthy. If a horse’s shoes were filled with twigs, nails, rocks, and dirt it could be uncomfortable, just as it would be for humans.
A hoof knife is a type of tool used to trim and to clean the hooves of horses. It has a sharp blade with a handle at one end and a metal loop at the other.
Clean hooves are what allow a horse to trot, canter, and gallop freely. When a horse’s hooves become impacted with debris and mud even the simple task of walking can become almost unbearable.
A curry comb may be made from metal or hard rubber. It helps to loosen the dirt and dander of the horse’s coat while distributing the deep-down natural oils of its skin, beneath the coat of hair.
A curry comb is a type of horse grooming brush that removes shedding hair, dandruff, and sweat from a horse’s body. It also loosens caked mud and dirt. Curry combing a horse is an important part of grooming the horse and maintaining its health and wellbeing.
Hoof Knife (left)
Curry Comb (right)