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Sky Trail 
Sculpture
by Rick Upham
Constructed
2002
After
collecting thousands of horseshoes for over five years, the Gardens
selected metal artist, Rick Upham, to create this arbor. Assisting Upham was
his son, Adrian Upham.
Upham said of the arch,
“I wanted to create vanishing points into the sky reminiscent of long-horn
cattle from the early cattle drives from Texas to Wyoming. I also wanted a
smooth visual texture from the rough and rusted horseshoes.” Upham placed
small metal whistles in the top of the sculpture, which in the right wind,
create an eerie sound.
 Rick
Upham - left (along with his brother and fellow artist, (Tim Upham) have
created numerous public art projects across the United States.
When you look at the hundreds of horseshoes
in this sculpture you will notice that there are many different sizes and
shapes of horseshoes. This often brings up many questions by visitors not
familiar with keeping and caring for horses. Such as . . . .
Is a horseshoe
lucky?
Horseshoes are considered the most
universal of all the good luck charms. A
common
tradition is that if a horseshoe is hung above a door with the two ends
pointing up then good luck will occur. However, if the two ends point
downwards then bad luck will occur.
How old is the horseshoe?
The
horseshoe was introduced to western culture by the Greeks in the 4th
century. It became a mainstream practice in Europe around 1000 AD. Horses
and mules contributed a vital part to the development of America,
especially in settling the West. Once people discovered the utilitarian
value of the horse, they realized they needed to protect the horse’s feet.
What exactly is a horseshoe?
A horseshoe
is a U-shaped
piece of iron, rubber, plastic, rawhide or
laminate,
nailed
or glued to a horse’s hoof and
some other draft animals - -like a shoe.
They are used to protect the animal's hooves from wear and tear. Horseshoes
are available in a wide variety of materials and styles, developed for
different types of horses and the work they do. Some special shoes are made
from magnesium, titanium or copper.
There are
even specially designed shoes for the popular game of Horseshoes.
The Ever
Important Nail!
 Of
course, the horseshoe can’t do its job without being properly attached with
horseshoe nails. For about 3,000 years horseshoers, also called “farriers,”
had to make each nail by hand. In the mid-1800s nail-making machines were
invented to mass produce horseshoe nails. The horseshoe nail has a beveled
point, blade or shank, neck, head, and the crown or top. The head and point
are beveled the same way so a nail driven into the hoof wall will turn
outward and exit the wall, to be turned down and clinched. Most horseshoes
require eight nails, four on each side.
"For
the want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for the want of a shoe the horse was
lost; and for the want of a horse the rider was lost, being overtaken and
slain by the enemy, all for the want of care about a horseshoe nail." -
Benjamin Franklin
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