While
fiction depends on "it's make-believe," I can't turn off
over ten-years of education and critical thinking. This shows in my
writing.
Mundus
is a fantasy world with European fairytale elements – wizards,
dragons, gingerbread houses. However, I'm a bit of a cultural
magpie. If something catches my fancy, I'll grab it.
Centaurs
are part of mainstream fantasy due to works like The
Chronicles of Narnia and Percy Jackson and the
Olympians. Centaurs are a visually stunning icon - fast, free,
and dangerous in battle.
Of
course, my brain had to go and ruin a perfectly good action
sequence. Would centaurs need to wear horseshoes? If Mundus was
to have centaurs, I needed answers.
Oddly
enough, I did not just Google 'do centaurs wear horseshoes.' It
actually didn't occur to me to check until I started working on this
blog. I used an insane combination of anthropology, veterinarian
knowledge, and gut-feeling.
Simple answer. Yes, centaurs could wear horseshoes. They'd
probable even pioneer the concept.
Now,
I've seen some web articles arguing that centaurs would avoid
horseshoes. A noble race that denies the traps of
industrialization. Yeah, I call horse hockey. Assuming they
have human-ish brains, centaurs would use tools. They need them.
You
see, horses eat raw greenery – no tools or thumbs needed. Ever
think that Centaurs might not be strict vegan foragers? Human
diets are tricky, and even a raw food diet isn't a simple matter.
However, humans have the advantage of having omnivore feet. Hooves
are for running away - not stalking, climbing, tumbling, or swimming.
If
centaurs want to evolve past wandering from meal to meal, they need
to protect their feet. They have thumbs, brains, and a 'herd' support
group. Tools and other technology are the natural outcomes.
Hoof
picks, rasps, and files would start in wood and stone.
While centaurs probably don't mine ore, they would definitely pick up metal from other races. From there, it's a matter of time until
some genius or drunk idiot gets a friend to nail traction plates on
his/her hooves.
In the real world, there is a large debate on the long-term health of shod
versus barefoot horses. Joint health, bad maintenance, disease
prevention, local terrain, back and forth they go. However, it's
humans doing the arguing and medical studies – not the actual shoe
wearers.
Centaurs
would only bother with horseshoes if it gave them an advantage. A
nomadic hunter on the plains might not see the need for the extra
work. However, a farmer working on rocky or abrasive ground could save
him or herself a cracked hoof. Shoe types could be refined because
the wearer can talk about what they need.
Ta-da,
centaurs designing and wearing horseshoes.
I
have an answer and an argument that would make a d20 player
weep. However, the real fun is in the 'story seeds' I found
while researching.
- The first shoe fitting and failed prototypes
- Centaur lifestyles that require shoes – city dwellers, ranchers, military
- Commercial hoof salons (think ladies' night out and glittery polish)
Sometimes
the long way is the better way.
