Shoes vs no shoes

Horses carry the majority of their weight on their front end, which is why they may need front shoes and not rear ones.

My TB wears front shoes because otherwise he's gimpy on hard surfaces. He doesn't need them on his back feet.

You shoe or not depending on the horse, not what someone who isn't your farrier tells you.

Mustangs 'do fine' without shoes because one, nobody rides them, and two, those with bad feet die early on in their lives. You can't compare a feral, unridden horse with one who is expected to carry the weight of tack and a rider, and asked to do extreme physically challenging disciplines.

Having a competent trimmer or farrier is more important than whether or not you choose to shoe IMO. However, there are a surprising number of them out there that aren't doing a great job on horses, barefoot or shod. If what you're doing is working, then there's no need to change it. Most horses will be sore over hard terrain if they spend a majority of their time in soft paddocks, stalls, and arenas. Hoof boots can be a very good solution for those situations.

Nope.

(Whole article)

Hmm, makes me wonder if maybe white tissue holds more moisture than black, hence creating the myth that white is softer than black.

I have noticed a difference on my horses that their white hooves tend to be easier to trim/rasp than their dark hooves, but I'm no scientist, so I don't know why that might be.

Blue Thunder - your horse may be sensitive on uneven hard ground because he is not used to it. If his paddock is grassy or sandy, he doesn't spend much time on gravel, so he doesn't have much callous built up on his sole. If his feet are otherwise healthy, and he has no difficulty in the arenas then I would also opt for the hoof boots. It's protection that doesn't damage the hoof wall and you can apply/remove as needed.

You mentioned that he wasn't maintained properly before you got him and he still "doesn't have terrific feet." Maybe some fresh eyes on your farrier's work would be helpful? Or maybe there is something you could add to his diet to help? Eg. Biotin and minerals. Maybe more frequent farrier visits? Could be a million different things, but if you aren't happy with his feet, the first thing I would be doing is getting his feet as healthy as possible and then determining if shoes are in order.

There is also the plastic glue on shoe, but they are not very common.

I know a lot of people have said that shoes reduce the shock the hoof receives in high impact sports like jumping or barrel racing, and they are probably right, but I think shoes are more important for a solid footing (I have them on my "not so sure-footed" eventer;). My mare was barefoot for five years, and last summer, she severely bruised the frog in both of her front feet, so we had shoes put on her. However, the overall condition of her hooves deteriorated, and we had to take them off after several weeks. That's not to say shoes are bad for a horse -- they certainly have their place, and some horses just flat out need them -- but I think that if you don't have a specific and pin-pointed reason for putting them on, I'd try to stay away from them. I know there are some boots to put on there that absorb the shock, maybe try some of those? (Although they seem fairly expensive) But I don't know your horse, so that's just my opinion! Good luck!!:)

My guy was sore over gravel even after several months of regular work and living in a rocky pasture. On arena footing or sand he was fine though. Once I put shoes on all around, he's happy to trot down the gravel trail rather than ouching and gimping down it at a walk, and since we go down that trail once or twice a week, every week, for him shoes are necessary. If we were to move somewhere where gravel wasn't part of our daily life, or he wasn't sore on it, I'd leave him barefoot.

In short, sometimes shoes (or boots) do help. But only if there's an issue that might be helped and a competent farrier involved.

My opinion is keep him barefoot and buy some hoof boots with extra traction instead. They are expensive to buy, but wayyyyy cheaper than shoes in the long run! Plus, shoes cause a lot of problems to the hoof.

My horses are kept barefoot and trimmed by a barefoot specialist who is a Natural Horseman...he's in the process of perfecting a polyurethane shoe for horses in need of shoeing...particularly those who have foundered or who have particularly uneven feet or really bad cracks that need support. Polyurethane will flex and absorb shock more like the natural hoof does whereas iron shoes are stiffer and tend to transfer the shock to the hoof and leg. If the horse is okay without being shod, don't shoe...just what my farrier recommends. Or get a second opinion from someone else's recommended expert or a vet school.

You HAVE to have a competent farrier and a good balanced trim or barefoot wont work for ANY horse.

Do you have photos of your horses feet that you could post?

As someone already stated, white feet don't = soft feet. The pigment has nothing to do with hoof growth and hardness.

I have recently learned about a product called Simmerdown. It has shown to greatly improve hoof growth and overall health. You can order it from SIMMERdown | Herbs for Horses

Correct nutrition can also make a HUGE difference in overall hoof health. What is your horses current diet?

Some horses can go barefoot from the start, some have to be correctly conditioned and some can never go barefoot. It all depends on the individual animal and their diet.