do horses really need shoes? what are they for anyways?

Question

do horses really need shoes or can they live without them is it safe to ride them wihtout shoes? there just so expensive that i don't want to have to buy them if there not really a must!

Answer 1

No, they do not. If you take care of your horses feet, meaning regular trimming, cleaning, etc. If you are doing a lot of riding on hard surfaces you can get boots to protect. Many show horses are unshod in front, but wear shoes in back until the season is over.

My horses all have good, hard feet and are unshod. I do not ride a lot on asphalt or concrete...I ride mostly on trails or arena. I will tell you that this question will set off a storm of controversy as there is very nearly a war going on between us 'bare-footers' and those who think every horse ought to have shoes on.

Think about the Mustang. Many of them live in some of the toughest terrain this country has to offer, and they do fine without shoes.

Answer 2

I read the other answers given and some good points made---the real reason any horse HAS to have shoes is the condition of each individual horse--some have frail hooves or hooves that crack and chip easily some don't --and the kind of riding you do and the area you ride in is a factor--I have had my horse for 26 years and he has had shoes once--before him I had a quarter horse that just didn't have good hooves they chipped and cracked so bad that I didn't ride if he threw a shoe it would make him sore then I got Nomad and when I started riding him on the trails I had the shoes put on the horse shoer asked why?? He has great hooves but its up to you --yes they cost allot so 10 weeks later I had the shoes pulled and I have not had them seance --I ride in all sorts of areas from rocky to sand and grass he is fine--but he has hard sound hooves --that's whats most important --what type of hooves your horse has and how tender footed it is

Answer 3

The reasons people put shoes on their horses:
1. they think it makes the stronger
2. it helps stop the unnatural wearing down of the hoof caused my tarmac, concrete and other manmade surfaces.
3. some think its better trackion, i dont see a difference.
4. shoes also can provide more traction in snow or ice. i try not to ride on snow or ice anyway because you never know when you'll hit a big pothole :-P

it does not make the hoof stronger, but can be a useful crutch if the hoof dose crack all the way to the coronet band, you can use shoes or better yet boots to ease the healing process.

If you only ride on namural surfaces, you dont need to worry about shoes. by natural i mean dirt, grass, mud, slightly rocky, etc. anything you can find in nature or on Chincoteague. lol. If you trailer excessively or ride on roads or other manmade surfaces, it may not be such a bad idea to get shoes. it will help the horse's hoof to stay the natural length so he can support you comfortably.

i dont have shoes on my horse and he is fine. i just remember that they lived for thousands and thousands of years without us and obviously survived, so i try not to interfere too much. :)

Answer 4

It depends on the individual horse, the horses feet, wheather or not the horse has worn shoes in the past, ect.


Belive it or not, it is healthier for the horse to go without shoes if it can comfortably do so. But only if it is comfortable doing so.

You need to talk to your farrier about this. If you decide to pull their shoes, they will be a little sore for a little while, and I can take up to a year for their feet to reach maximum hardness (more if they already have problems such as contracted heels)

I'm going to put in links for some sites that talk about this issue, as I am not a farrier and can only say that my horse goes best without shoes so long as she is trimed regularly. I have seen a number of horses improve when their shoes were removed. And I have seen horses benifit from wearing shoes, espeacaily if they are ridden over hard ground often.

http://www.horse-sense.org/index/Shoeing_and_hoof_care/
http://www.barefoothorse.com/

Answer 5

Hooves grow in the same manner as human nails; the hooves must be trimmed or the horse may be crippled by overgrown hooves. The Shoes raise the level of the hoof so that the soft pad does not hit the rough surface of the track to prevent injury to the horse. I once saw a neglected horse whose hooves had grown out and curved up...it was a horrible sight and had to be extremely painful for the horse. It was awful. We are stewards of the animals upon the face of this earth and such cruelty must never be permitted.

Answer 6

It depends on what the horse is being used for. If he is being ridden on grass and few rocks (i.e. crossing a driveway) then barefoot is best. You will need to still have the farrier trim his feet but you can probably extend that to every 8-10 weeks instead of 6-8 weeks. If you are doing trail riding or heavy riding, then a simple plate will be fine unless you want to do specific shoes. I will give you an example of what I did that worked for me. My show Arabian would have his shoes put on about 2-3 weeks before show season started. This allowed him enough time to get used to his shoes and work the tenderness out of his feet. The shoe was a simple shoes that was heavy in the toe and light in the heel. It allowed me to have enough traction and encouraged grip in barrel racing but also enough grip for jumping and was nonrestrictive. It also lengthened his stride a lot and I didnt have to work so hard to get a natural 12' hunter stride out of him. After the Fair in Ocotber, I would have his shoes pulled and the rest of fall, all of winter, and part of spring he was barefoot. As a result he had extremly hard feet that were healthy. Talk with your farrier and he can offer some options on shoeing. I highly reccommend letting him go barefoot in the winter unless it is corrective shoeing or shoes that help him gait (if he is gaited).

Answer 7

though I don't have an answer for you as I have never owned a horse, I want to thank you for this most interesting question. I really enjoyed all the reading material and got a bit of an education on the subject. Seems it really does depend on the horse and what it walks on. In the wild they do not wear shoes-but also are not ridden!

Answer 8

If you are riding over rocky or very hard terrain, then the best thing to do is to get your horse shod. I understand the expense part though... if you are mostly riding through pasture and other vegetative areas, it's not necessary. If you don't shoe the horse, please keep a close eye on the condition of the hoof to prevent any damage.

Answer 9

It depends on the terrain you plan to ride on. If you are riding through rocks, on concrete or blacktop, your horse will need shoes. They are necessary in order to protect their feet from injury-- a horse with bad feet is useless, and VERY expensive to treat. You've heard "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". If you can't afford shoes, you can't afford the horse. Some horses have very tender feet, just like people.

Answer 10

I ride mine all the time and we never shoe ours.
If you live in a rocky or sandy area and work your horses alot you may need to shoes to keep from wearing off the hoof to fast.
If you jump you may need shoes for more traaction and if you ride on concrete or roads alot you may need them also.
Once mine left the racee track they have not had shoes on since.
We have a great farrier who does a really good abrefoot trim about evey 8 -10 weeks and I will file on them if I need to.
Other than that no shoes for us.