noun
- Metal points or grips fastened to the bottom of a horseshoe to prevent slipping on ice or hard ground.
Usage: Usually used in plural form.; Also spelled 'caulkins'.
Examples
- The blacksmith installed calkins on the horse's shoes before winter.
- Calkins help horses maintain traction on icy roads.
- The farrier recommended calkins for the draft horse working in snowy conditions.
- Without calkins, the horse would slip dangerously on the frozen ground.
- She had the calkins removed from her horse's shoes when spring arrived.