About Horseshoes

A C Barnden's film shows in detail the work of the farrier. A young horse is led towards the farrier's workshop where its old shoes are removed. The horse's hooves are cleaned, clipped and filed while steel strips are heated in a forge. Hammered into shape and tested for fit, the finished shoe is finally nailed to the horse's hoof. Different sizes and types of horseshoe are displayed and matched to the various types of horses, including cart-horses, hunters and racehorses.

Mr A. C. Barnden was the headmaster of London Road School in Burgess Hill in the 1940s and 1950s. He made several films which were intended for use in the classroom and which demonstrate his keen personal interest in capturing a record of local rural crafts and industries. Mr Barnden also recorded school activities such as sports days, school trips and plays. The collection, now held at Screen Archive South East, also features a series of commercially made films on educational topics. The London Road School collection exemplifies the educational role that films could play in schools, as audio-visual material teaching tools for use in the classroom.