Does My Horse Need Shoes?

Do you keep your horse only as an ornament, never for riding?

Is your horse kept in or ridden over the rough ground?

Is your horse an athletic horse?

Is your horse a sliding or reining horse?

Does your horse have a limb deviation?

Are there any medical issues with your horse's feet, like disease, injury, or birth defect?

If a horse’s hooves grow faster than they wear, a horse needs only to be trimmed. In this case, shoes are likely not necessary. A horse that is ridden often will wear feet more quickly than the horse that is simply a pasture ornament.

If a horse’s hooves grow faster than they wear, a horse needs only to be trimmed. However, if a horse’s hooves wear faster than they grow, the feet should be protected. Horses that are kept in or ridden over the rough ground will wear their feet quicker than a horse kept in areas with the softer ground.

Athletic horses require traction to prevent injury from slipping and falling. Barrel horses, polo horses, hunter-jumper horses, and roping horses are a few examples of horses that benefit from gripping the ground to compete at their maximum potential.

Sliding and reining horses can perform their jobs better with less traction. Shoes with a wide web (sliding plates) will allow sliding horses to slide even further than they would if they were barefoot. Studs or borium (tungsten carbide) can be attached to the ground surface of a shoe to keep a horse from slipping, similar to the way snow tires keep a car on the road.

Some horses are known to have limb deviations that create a “toed in” or “toed out” effect. For these horses, weight is unevenly distributed and can cause discomfort. A shoe placed under the limb’s center of gravity will help distribute pressure evenly so the horse is more comfortable. Horses with limb deviations need special therapeutic types of shoes to get around comfortably.

Shoes can be useful in cases of horses that have diseased or injured feet. Horses with laminitis, founder, navicular syndrome, club feet, and serious hoof cracks can all benefit from therapeutic shoeing. In some cases, like founder, the shoes may only be necessary until the horse recovers from its ailment. In other cases, like navicular and severe club foot cases, the horse will probably need therapeutic shoes for life.

Your horse doesn't appear to need shoes.