Horseshoe to the modern hoof boot. Historians differ on the origin of the horseshoe. Because iron was a valuable commodity, and any worn out items were generally reforged and reused, it is difficult to locate clear archaeological evidence. Although some credit the Druids, there is no hard evidence to support this claim. In 1897 four bronze horseshoes with what are apparently nail holes were found in an Etruscan tomb dated around 400 B.C. The assertion by some historians that the Romans invented the "mule shoes" sometime after 100 BC is supported by a reference by Catullus who died in 54 BC.
Rüppell's horseshoe bat a pale greyish-brown or greyish-fawn shaft with a blackish tip. The underparts are slightly paler than the dorsal pelage. The ears are small and the noseleaf has a sub-triangular lancet with slightly concave sides and a rounded tip. The horseshoe is about wide and approximately covers the muzzle. The wing membranes are dark brown to dark grey. The only other bat species with which it is likely to be confused are the eloquent horseshoe bat ("Rhinolophus eloquens") and Hildebrandt's horseshoe bat ("Rhinolophus hildebrandtii"), both of which are slightly larger. Rüppell's horseshoe bat is endemic to Africa, south of the Sahara.