06/11/2021
(Please do click on the pictures, to read the description for each and every picture)
Shoeing (bulls, oxen/castrated bulls and cows) native breeds of cattle (Bos Indicus/Zebu/Humped cattle) that belong to the Indian sub-continent, that are heavy (above five-hundred kilograms) and work at fields and on roads (from modern roads in large/big cities to beaten dust paths in small villages) with thick and curved strips of Iron, is compulsory for all kinds of working Zebu cattle (ploughing/pulling carts/riding/levelling fields). Non-working Zebu cattle (hooves grow gradually and they need to be trimmed whenever necessary, if the cattle aren't let/allowed to graze everyday on the grasslands/pastures, because when cattle graze and roam their hooves are constantly in contact with the ground and their hooves are worn out naturally, because of that). Zebu cattle, must be shoed/shod irrespective of their gender (Bulls and/or cows) and breed (Bos Indicus).
The need of shoeing, working cattle can be compared to, how we humans need footwear to protect our soles for several and obvious reasons. Some people think that shoeing, working (Bos Indicus) cattle is equal to torturing them, but in reality it's the opposite, as shoeing helps to keep the hooves of the cattle safe from wearing and getting pierced by sharp objects, and also for giving more traction when they're working. The fine art of shoeing Zebu cattle is no less different when compared to shoeing horses and it (trimming the hooves) can also be compared to trimming (clipping) the edges of the human fingernail.
The draught (Bos Indicus) breeds of cattle in/of India, like the Kangeyam breed of cattle (a breed that's native to the Kongu region/Western part of Tamil Nadu, a state that's located in the southern part of India) are usually used for working at the fields (for ploughing and levelling fields) and on the roads (riding and pulling carts). Such breeds of draught cattle should be shoed on a regular basis (twenty to thirty days, depending on the frequency and the amount of work, that's given to the working cattle) by well-experienced, traditional cattle farriers (people who are blacksmiths that specialise in shoeing working cattle that belong to the species, Bos Indicus).
The farrier first asks the handler/owner to take the the animal to a newly ploughed field and removes any sharp objects (mostly stones, big or small) that are present nearby (so that the bovine doesn't get injured when it's falls onto the ground) hold the nose halter and then the cattle farrier folds one foreleg and ties it with one end of a very long rope, so that the bovine automatically starts to kneel on its forelegs and then the cattle farrier ties the end of a long rope (honda knot) around the hind flank of the bovine and the other end is later used to tie all of the legs of the animal together. After this, the cattle farrier either tries to push the back legs of the animal, towards the opposite side or applies pressure on its rump, so that the bovine falls backwards. After this, the cattle farrier starts to all the legs are tied together, using rope to help and prevent the bull and the cattle farrier from getting injured. All breeds of Bos Indicus cattle are not friendly towards strangers, very sensitive (physically and mentally) and they will not allow any stranger/outsider to touch them immediately. Moreover Zebu cattle do not like standing on three legs, just like how horses (equines) do when they're being shoed. Hence, it is necessary for all Zebu cattle farriers to tie up the cattle that need their hooves to be trimmed/shoed, with ropes. The cattle farrier, then removes the old Iron shoes from the hooves, by removing the small nails that are used to fixate, the thick and bent strips on Iron onto the hoof and then the farrier starts to clean and trim the hooves with a small and sharp chisel and with a small hammer. A small wooden plank is placed in between the left and the right half of the hoof by the cattle farrier to make sure that he doesn't chip off any pieces of the other hoof while he trims and cleans one half of the hoof by hammering the chisel with the small hammer and to prevent one half of the hoof moving (that one half he's working on) when he shapens, cleans and trims the hoof. The Iron shoe has three to four holes (depending on the cattle farrier and the blacksmith who makes the Iron shoes) to insert small nails so that the cattle farrier can nail the shoe to the hoof of the animal. The sharp tips of the nails on the outer shoe (new Iron shoes are used for the outer shoes as the outer shoes tend to wear out quickly, because they very frequently come into contact with the ground) are bent with the small hammer and the sharp tips of the nails on the inner shoe (old Iron shoes are used for the inner shoes as the inner shoes don't wear out quickly, because they don't come into contact with the ground as frequently as the outer shoes) are cut and removed to prevent any injuries when the inner part of hooves (the left half and the right half) come into contact. Only well experienced, traditional cattle farriers can shoe cattle without hurting the animal or even letting out a single drop of blood from the hooves when their shoeing the bovine.
In "தமிழ்" (Thamizh, a language that's spoken by the naive people of Tamil Nadu, a state that's located in the Southern part of India), cattle farriers are called as "மாட்டுக் கொல்லர்" (pronounced as 'ma-it-to-ik ko-ll-er'). "லாடம் கட்டுதல்" (pronounced as 'la-dum ka-it-to-dha-il') is process of shoeing in Thamizh. It takes around 750 grams (3/4th of a/one kilogram) to 1000 grams (one kilogram) of metal, for a traditional cattle farrier to shoe a pair (two) of working (Zebu) cattle. Young bulls are castrated when their first set (two) of baby/milk teeth have fallen out and the new ones (adult teeth) are growing (coming up) and that's also when they get their hooves shoed for the first time.
Traditional Zebu cattle Farriers are rarely found nowadays, due to several reasons like :
1. Modernisation, through the influence of mechanical machines in agriculture like the tractor for example and faster modes (vehicular) of transport.
2. The cost of maintaining and feeding draught breeds of Bos Indicus cattle.
3. Traditional Zebu cattle farriers not passing down the art of Zebu cattle shoeing, to the next generation (their children).
4. The rarity of draught breeds of Bos Indicus cattle.
5. The lack of awareness and research about shoeing draught breeds of Bos Indicus cattle.
6. The lack of interest to learn the fine art of shoeing native breeds of cattle (the Indian youth/new generation of Indians) that belong to the species, Bos Indicus.
