Have You Ever Heard of Cow Shoes?

On November 4, 2004, C. Duane Branstetter, a well-known dairy farmer in the Warriors Mark area, passed away. His friends called him “Bucky.” What stood out about Bucky was the unique items he made and sold all over Pennsylvania after he retired.

Those items were cow shoes. Yep, that’s what I said, cow shoes!

Cow shoes are made from a heavy wood stock for long wear and cut in the shape of a cow’s hoof. Because cows are split-hooved animals, cow shoes can be used on either the inner or outer hoof simply by flipping them over. Unlike a horse’s hooves, a cow’s hooves are soft; therefore, cow shoes can’t be nailed on — they must be glued on. Cow shoes are used to protect a cow’s hooves from stone bruising or to protect an animal’s already-bruised hoof from further damage.

Bucky is the only person I’ve ever heard of who made cow shoes. He had told me he had customers who bought them in large quantities on a regular basis.

So the next time you’re driving down a country road and notice a herd of cows out in a field, just think — they may be wearing some of Bucky’s cow shoes!