Calks, corks and caulks ?

[near horse]

In the woodsman world, is there a difference between corks and calks? Here in Idaho I’ve heard both terms used to describe the spikes on your boots and as well as the traction “devices” added to horse shoes. Recently, a shoer told me that calks were bars etc welded onto the shoe, often seen on pulling horses (toe calks, heel calks etc) and the drive-in or screw-in pieces for added traction were called corks. So how do you all call it?

[Rick Alger]

Around here (NH) the terms are interchangeable in everyday parlance.

[Scott G]

Ditto for Rick’s comment.

[Carl Russell]

The term is Caulk…… the colloquial usage is Cork…

Interestingly the term Caulk has to do with stopping something up….. like filling a gap….. or “corking” a bottle…. or by driving two things together. The Latin root stems from “tread”, like to tread something into place, or to “heel”, like heeling in plants…….

I see no reference to the use of Caulks AS tread.

I did find a reference to a Cork as a peg.

Call it what you want, just make sure the folks you’re talking to know what you mean…….:cool:

Carl

[Carl Russell]

From Wikipedia…. “Some horseshoes have “caulkins“, “caulks”, or “calks”: protrusions at the toe and/or heels of the shoe, to provide additional traction.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe)

So I followed that link to Caulken (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caulkin) “A caulkin (or caulk; US spelling “calkin” or “calk“) from the Latin calx (the heel) is a blunt projection on a horseshoe that is often forged, welded or brazed onto the shoe.^[1][2] The term may also refer to traction devices screwed into the bottom of a horseshoe, also commonly called shoe studs or screw-in calks. These are usually a blunt spiked cleat, usually placed at the sides of the shoe.”

Hope this makes thing a lot clearer…… :confused:

Carl

[near horse]

Whew! Now that’s an answer.

As I said earlier, here it depends on who you’re talking to. They’ll “straighten you out” on the cork v calk useage and I can always use some straightening out every once in a while.

Thanks.

[Stephen Leslie]

Re-upping this thread to see if any one knows or has experience with hoof boots with caulks as an alternative to caulked shoes? Question comes up because we are planning to do some timberstand improvement/firewood harvest in our woods next fall and winter. Our horses have always been barefoot so are trimmed towards that end, plus we probably won’t have enough woods work to justify the cost of shoeing.

[carl ny]

My son and I use his horses to skid firewood and some saw logs,never have put a shoe on them. If you you are logging alot it might be a different story. JMHO

carl ny

[Stephen Leslie]

Thanks for your response, Carl. And I entirely agree with your perspective, those of us doing “non-commercial” work in our own woods can afford to pick and choose when we go according to favorable weather/ground conditions. I just started wondering whether hoof boots might also be an option because it has been so darn icy up here this winter—there were even some stretches where it was so bad I wished the horses had caulked shoes just so they could navigate their winter paddock more safely.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Stephen, I am pretty sure they make a boot like that, but I can say for sure I wouldn’t put much faith in them. There certainly are days when it is too icy to work horses, but at least for me the logging trails have not iced over as often as the drive way or anything plowed like that. Most days a horse can work in the woods just fine. The extra power and confidence a true logging horse gets from his shoes is used to move more merchantable timber with less effort each day. Something the homesteader / fire wood harvester doesn’t really have to worry about. I plowed my driveway with horses every time but once so far this year, and I coulda (shoulda, woulda!) used horses that day.

[Does’ Leap]

Hi Stephen:

I work my horses 4-5 days/week November-February (and part time for a few months on either side) pulling a combination of saw logs and firewood. I have never shod my horses and haven’t felt the need to….most of the time. I have learned to plan ahead and have different sections of my woods set aside if my main roads get iced over. I also diligently place waterbars in key sections of my main skid roads so that they don’t get permanently iced over when things freeze.

This winter was rough one though. I was shut out of the woods for nearly a month because of extreme icy conditions. However, for two of those weeks shoes wouldn’t have made a difference b/c the trees were so iced over it was too hazardous to cut wood (or even be in the woods for that matter!)

I agree with Donn that even if they made boots with caulks, I wouldn’t consider them. I have a pair of EasyBoots that I use on occasion on one of my horses b/c he is prone to sole bruises and abscesses. I generally put on these boots in the fall when the mud freezes up and the ground is very hard and bumpy. I did drill some studs in these boots and even when they are well fitted they are hard to keep on while logging – just not made for those forces.

Good luck and keep us posted on the harvest next year.

George

[Stephen Leslie]

Thanks all for such useful responses. I guess I suspected hoof boots probably wouldn’t be up to the wear and tear of woods work—but it is so great to have this forum to hear others direct experience.

[Brad Johnson]

Stephen-
I had a mare that could not be shod due to while line. I ordered a pair of studded boots to try, but they did not look like they would stay on worth a lick. I would let the hooves grow out a bit and put shoes on if you need them.
-Brad

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