Modern horseshoe museum at the Department of Surgery of Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after S.Z. Gzhitsky was founded in 1981. Such a museum — almost the only one in Europe — was based on a unique collection of horseshoes collected in the 30-40s of the 20th century by a prominent orthopedist, Professor Kazimir Shchudlovsky and his father, who was a good blacksmith. Kazimir Schudlovsky (Head of the Department of Orthopedics from 1924 to 1945, Rector of the Academy in 1936 — 1939) used the horseshoe collection as an illustration for training students — future veterinarians and in the late 40s donated it to the Academy.

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Professor Pavlo Kretovych, who from 1882 to 1908 worked at the Lviv Veterinary School and Horse Forging School, as a teacher of horse-riding, and from 1908 to 1921 headed the Department of Hoof Science and Forging of Horses, made a significant contribution to the formation of the horseshoe collection.

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During the entire existence of the Academy of Veterinary Medicine in Lviv, the collection of horseshoes and blacksmith remanent was constantly increasing, but in post-war times, due to the negligence of the administration, all this wealth that served people for decades and was a model of high skill of ancient blacksmiths could be destroyed shut down forever. During this period, Associate Professors Lev Zayatsi and Vladimir Sayevich managed to hide most of the collection and preserve valuable exhibits of blacksmithing skills for history.

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In 1975, the head of the Department of Surgery, Professor Yevgeny Malishevsky, was asked to organize a horseshoe museum. Thanks to the enthusiasm and selfless work of the teachers of the department — associate professors Ivan Zhuromsky, Anton Gamota, Volodymyr Samsonyuk, in a small room dedicated to the orthopedic class, it was possible not only to equip the present museum, but also even to supplement the rare collection of his father and son of Schudlovsky with new exhibits.

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The exposition of the Horseshoe Museum and its funds now include more than 400 exhibits originating from different parts of the world. Most of them are the talented fruits of the hands of local blacksmiths, because at the Veterinary School in Lviv since 1881 there was a school of forging horses. Therefore, in replenishing the main collection of horseshoes, the blacksmith of the school Petro Golinko contributed his share of hard work.

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There are more than 300 horseshoes on the stands of the museum. There are large ones for heavy trucks, light ones for riding horses and even horseshoes for oxen, donkeys and mules. Especially attractive are special horseshoes, which made it possible to use for animals with chronic diseases or congenital defects of hooves, tendons, joints. Special horseshoes are also presented for work in mountain conditions, on loose and stony soils, in winter and summer. Interest is aroused by silent horseshoes used to work horses in cities at night and in the morning and modern “" special boots "” for cows and horses made of durable plastic.

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The museum houses a kind of blacksmith heritage of past centuries: these are horseshoes found during archaeological excavations. Presumably, they belong to the 17th century.

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