horseshoes on sandtrails

I have had a discussion with my english friend in Tunisia what is best for the horses in sand: horse shoes yes or no?
In the sand are many little rocks, like little very mean pieces of stone wich can do harm.
In summertime however the sand can be very hot and iron gets hot too.
I already feel guilty when I feel the iron gets hot in my horse's mouth, but where temperature is controlled and moist.
I do not have any experience in this, but my feeling says no. Any one any advice?

How much will you ride your horse? I ride mine all the time barefoot even in rocky terrain. I just can't do 20 miles a day for 3-4 days in a row on rocks.

I would think if they are properly trimmed, they should be able to go in sand with no shoes. But if you let the hoof walls get long enough, they will need shoes regardless of the footing.

I would say that barefoot would be better for them. I don't worry about small rocks (even sharp ones) unless the ground under them is solid enough to cause them to cause injury to the hoof. I don't believe there is any risk at all in riding barefoot. The iron getting hot I don't think would be much of an issue because the sand is hot and the hoof will be in contact with it either way. If possible, I just always prefer a barefoot horse.

Well, I live in Southern AZ which is nothing but desert (or do I need a second s?) and rocks.... and well cactus. Anyhow, when I take them out to trail ride we get down into 3 different wash area which is nothing but sand & rocks (somewhat like beachy sand - where they sink in a lil). Well, my horses are barefoot, and so are my friends. Infact, we even let them full out gallop them in it. They do great! I would just suggest taking a hoof pick, that way if a rock gets lodged. I think the longest we've gone on was a 3 hour.

Don't know if that helps any.

If you're worried about using shoes because of the chance that they will conduct heat, there's no reason to worry, as they're in contact with insensitive tissue.

Of course, if your horse has a decent foot and you're only riding in sand, it's possible that your horse doesn't need shoes anyway... unless you're riding enough that you're creating a situation where wear exceeds growth. Sand can be pretty abrasive, but most folks don't ride enough for it to be an issue.

ThanX a lot for all the answers.
I stay with my earlier feelings and forget about the shoes.