to shoe or not to shoe ?

That was more in regards to a farrier who does a poor job, sorry I didn't specify that. All the horses that this one farrier does have such poor misshapen weak hooves from the poor work, there are so many nail holes in the hooves that the wall is practically deteriorating

A bad trim, even with out nail holes can do that.

I am sure these horses would grow out a much better hoof if a change in farriers occurred. The nail holes are not at fault here, the farrier is.

Go barefoot for now, if down the road it appears he needs shoes by all means get some slapped on. I've found most horses with sound feet handle no shoes, even on rocky terrain, just fine. I have a feeling most performance horses can perform fine with no shoes too it's just not attempted. Did read a story about someone racing a TB with no shoes, been to long ago to remember the details but the horse did well.

If your horse has hoof problems (navicular, foundered, etc) then odds are a proper set of shoes for their condition will improve their lot in life.

I rode barefoot horses for years. They would do fine for months or even years, then when I was really enjoying riding, they would come up with a bruise or chip that caused me to have to put them up for a while. I keep the horses that we ride shod all the way around. I do it because they never have lameness problems and I like them that way. As long as I am able to afford them, I will use shoes. If I only rode on grass or sand, I might feel differently.

In the case of your three year old, I would probably wait until he is trained enough that you are going to be taking him out a lot. He is a baby and still growing. I think that barefoot will most likely be good for him for now, but you will need to ask your own farrier about him.

In all reality, shoes decrease blood circulation by preventing the natural flexing of the hoof, Even if he's a bit ouchy on rocky areas, please buy him hoof boots! Imo, only top performance horses should ever wear shoes.

This is in the reality of some barefoot trimmer people......



So a retired back yard horse that is not pasture sound barefoot should not be given the relief of shoes?

My horse wears shoes just on her front feet.

She's just a totally different horse with shoes on. I've tried to "toughen" her feet up by leaving her barefoot, but I can just tell she feels better when she has shoes on.

My pony hopefully won't ever wear shoes, but he has much better feet than my mare.

My horses always are barefoot, unless there going to be showed or on long trail rides ther is really no need of them as long as your careful

I agree with above re: barefoot (usually) is best. Your farrier and your Vet are the experts you should consult.
We usually keep all of ours barefoot, unless we plan to travel to the Black Hills or Colorado for trail riding. Once, when my QH (who had shelly feet, anyway) threw a shoe in the BH's, we located a local farrier who let me help re-shoe. SHE told me that the horse's feet are SO flexible that she had witnessed trimming a foot with a ridge near the coronary band. By the time she put the foot on the ground, the same ridge had worked it's way down to the base of the foot. They can actually grip the ground as if they had one large hand. That is why a shoe can be restrictive. A shoe is lots better than wearing a hoof down to the quick. Plus corrective shoeing can really help a horse's movement, when it's necessary. BTW, I've taken used up shoes and hung them in the barn as bridle hooks, etc. Works great!

I am a dressage rider and I have worked with many different breeds & ages of horses. I used to be big into shoes and wouldn't think twice about putting shoes on my horses. I am a firm believer that there are some special needs horses out there that need shoes. I owned a gelding who had low heels and with an artificial heel, he was always dead lame. That however, was a one in a million horse. Check into natural barefoot trimming and ask the farrier. Most horses that are shod do not really need the shoes. It is true that shoes DO damage the foot. Repeatedly pounding nails into the foot will make it weaker and weaker. That is why horses that have been shod much of their lives pull shoes a lot. They overstep on the shoe and the wall of the hoof is simply not strong enough to hold it.

Consider what you're going to be doing with this horse as well. If you're just going to be riding around a pasture on soft ground and he has nice feet, then shoes probably are not necessary. If you live in a rocky climate/area that doesn't get much rain, shoes may be needed, BUT you have other options as well. There are some very fancy hoof boots on the market that literally look like a tennis shoe for horses.

When it comes down to it, I don't shoe unless deemed absolutely necessary. :)