roughshod

adj

Etymology: From rough + shod.

1. Of a horse: having hooves shod with horseshoes that have calks or projecting parts to prevent slipping.

   “The horses fell down three times, the roads being slippery, and we walked three miles to Linlithgow. There we waited two hours, to have the fresh horses roughshod.”

   “Those who have followed a French army well know that their horses are always rough-shod. [...] Horses can bear cold when properly fed, and if they had not been rough-shod there were farriers attached to the army.”

2. Brutal or domineering.

   “She proved to be completely defenseless against her husband, both because of her own culture that demanded abject submission to the male, and because of her fearful reaction to his roughshod behavior toward her.”

   “In the roughshod horny world of boys, I had studied my companions closely to make sure that I wasn't being too "queer" for them.”