Ferradors and manescals (farriers and vets)

What it is and technique

The ferrador shod the beasts: he trimmed the hoof and nailed the iron. The manescal cured animal diseases (the ancient veterinarian); Often both jobs went together and together with the ferrer. Essential while the island moved by animal traction.

Process step by step

1. Subject the animal; If he bites, with the twister (stick with string that tightens the nose).

2. Remove and clean the hull.

3. Recut the skin.

4. Adjust the hot iron on the lock.

5. Nail and rivet.

Forms and objects

• See ferradura , enclusa i manxa .
• Ferradura camí (only beasts).

Vocabulary

• ferrador: worker who shoes beasts.
• ferrar / desferrar: put on / remove the horseshoe.
• ferradura: horseshoe; in Mall., also the first heel cover and the iron that reinforces the heel or tip of the shoe.
• manescal: ancient veterinarian (fon. mall. mənəskáɫ).
• torcedor: stick with string to hold the animal's nose while shoeing.
• peülla: helmet.

Geography

• Blacksmith shops in each town; today, traveling farriers for riding and trotting horses.

Short story

• 1298: "all ferrers, manescalchs and argenters" in the same document (DCVB).
• 1543: oldest preserved ordinances of the col·legi de ferrers of Mallorca (the oldest, 13th century; a fire destroyed the previous ones). Patron saint Eloi.
• 1617: Agustí: the breeder must know "the role of seller and menescal."

State

I live in horse riding. Mallorca maintains trotting and Mallorcan breed horses; The registry of artisans includes the ferrador category, without registrations in the consultation of 10/13/2026 (farriers work outside of that registry, please verify).

Why is it design

• Custom prosthetics: each horseshoe fits a helmet.
• Road design: the "ferradura road" defines a road network by the type of user.

For the project

• Photograph a trotting ferrador; series of objects with recycled horseshoes (without kitsch).

Sources

• dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=ferrador
• dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=manescal
• dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=ferradura
• dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=torcedor
• ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrer
• caib.es/siciefront/artesania/index.jsp?idioma=ct

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

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