TO SHOE OR NOT TO SHOE
A horse’s hoof is like a human fingernail: It constantly grows. Because domesticated horses do not wear down their feet naturally like wild horses do, a professional farrier must regularly trim their hooves and, if necessary, apply shoes. The big question is: How do you know if your horse needs shoes? To answer this question, it helps to understand how the hoof functions naturally and how shoes affect those functions.
Impressive, complex structures, hooves are designed to bear horses’ weight and provide for comfortable mobility. They expand and contract as they contact and leave the ground, absorbing shock and distributing the body weight evenly. The external structures also work together to provide traction and protect more sensitive internal structures. A healthy hoof, therefore, is critical to the horse’s overall soundness, comfort and usefulness. Hence the common phrase, “No hoof, no horse.”
Reasons to Shoe or Not Shoe
In many cases, the hoof’s natural design provides all the protection, traction and support a horse needs, says Esco Buff, PhD, APF-I, CF, of Esco Buff’s Professional Farrier Service, LLC. Horses who are barefoot over a prolonged period of time build up their own natural protection, he says. “The hoof wall may be stronger on the bottom and will have built up a thickened sole to protect the hoof. With shoes, this is less likely to happen.”
When the unshod hoof touches much, the natural concavity of the sole provides traction when it packs with dirt. Shoes lift the sole higher off the ground and can cause the foot to slide excessively. Depending on the footing, you may need to add traction devices such as studs, heel caulks, rim shoes or hard surfacing material, to make up for this. However, such added traction may interfere with the correct slide a horse has when he puts his foot down. “Everything in the farrier industry that is done to a horse has pros and cons,” Esco says. “The goal of the farrier is to find the method that will have more pros than cons and be most successful.”
