Civil War Era Hoof Knife

Description

This is what I believe to be a Civil War era “hoof knife.” This was a necessary part of the kit for any horse-mounted Civil War soldier. I’ve seen many others that look exactly like this one. This one does have a mark, but I can’t quite make it out.

What was a “hoof knife” used for? The trimming of the hoof and frog (the pyramid looking portion of the hoof which actually acts as an additional heart pump to the legs and health of the hoof), and to create a concave of the hoof as to act more like an arch to permit better load tolerance on the hoof structure. Wild horses in nature going over stone/rocks, shave off this area and domestic horses needed this maintenance. Flat footed horses didn’t stay sound as long as those with a slight ‘bowl’ affect of their hooves.