Trench art Horse Hoof - Egypt 1916

**VolksJager** · 03-10-2013, 12:27 PM

This is another of the items I grabbed today at the collector fair. I could not let this one pass! Its a nice little wooden horse hoof, with a little copper horse shoe nailed on the bottom. There is a silver plate attached to the top with "Eygpt 1916" engraved onto it. I love the little details on this, even the way the nails have been done on the shoe. Would I be fair to say Australian Light Horse made in 1916?

**big ned** · 03-10-2013, 02:21 PM

Hi VJ,

A nice little memento to have come across. One thing though, it's not modelled from a horse, I can assure you that it's imitating a (rather small!) donkey hoof. The British & Commonwealth forces made use of thousands of donkeys during both wars as pack animals and for covering rough terrain as they were renowned for their sure footedness. Indeed, the British Cavalry Regiments became affectionately known as 'The Donkey Wallopers' after their using them in Egypt as pack animals during the late 19th century.

Regards, Ned.

**VolksJager** · 03-10-2013, 02:32 PM

Well there you go, I learn something new everyday! Many thanks Big Ned! Makes sense as the gentleman I bough the items from had quite alot of British items. In fact he is going back to the UK next week for more, so I think I will be asking if he can keep a lookout for me.

Regards
Jason

**big ned** · 03-10-2013, 02:54 PM

Hi Jason,

A lot of people think that donkeys don't need shoeing and would say that means this item isn't modelled on a donkeys hoof but a horse's because of the presence of the shoe. But the British farriers would shoe donkeys as a matter of course due to the terrain often being soft sand and the fact that the animals were used to pack heavy loads over such ground for many hours a day. The combination of both these things can cause severe damage to the creatures feet and legs, causing the hooves to split and laminate. The application of shoes prevented a lot of this occuring.

Regards, Ned.