Each horse must be assessed on an individual basis. When determining whether or not your horse needs shoes consider how much discomfort your horse has, whether the horse's hooves get a lot of wear, the type of work your horse does, and your horse's hoof anatomy. Horseshoes have been described as a necessary evil, brought on by circumstances that limit the availability of the horse's natural exercise, stabling conditions, and other factors involved in the domestication of horses. Katherine is an avid horseback rider and trainer who contributed to The Spruce Pets for over 12 years, publishing 400+ articles. Why Do Horses Need To Wear Shoes? Horses that pull abnormal amounts of weight require shoes to prevent their hooves from wearing down. Wild horses amble long distances daily, usually over rough grassland, which gradually builds up hard hooves. My reiners get new shoes about every 4-5 weeks as they wear them out quite fast. User Agreement and Privacy Policy. And why don't all farm horses need shoes? Some horses have weak, tender feet. Favourite answer. Therapeutic shoes called heartbar shoes shift weight to the frog or rear part of the hoof while at the same time stabilizing the bone column inside the foot. They get their hooves trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks. However, some horses become more useful with shoes, and they even make themselves more versatile when it comes to riding. All rights reserved. A horse that is severely toed in (fetlock varus) can benefit from a shoe fit full to the outside where the horse is deficient (lateral support shoe). Domesticated horses require hoof trimming and reshoeing every four to eight weeks by an experienced and knowledgeable farrier. Depending on the work your horse is doing and the terrain, you might be able to re-use the shoes once or sometimes even twice. Hooves continuously grow (like human fingernails), so it’s important to keep your horse on a regular farrier schedule so their feet remain in top condition. What works for one may not work for another. This is because the horse's hooves, like your nails, grow daily, and must be trimmed regularly in order to avoid a deformity. Don’t leave shoes on for months, though. 1 decade ago. However, horseshoes have their place and can help prevent excess or abnormal hoof wear and injury to the foot. © 2020 EquiMed, LLC. if the shoes are not worn out and your horses feet are not growing they do not need doing every 8 weeks. Some of you might bother asking how often should horses be shod or re-shod and on this article, that will be answered. Answer Save. In places like the Sandhills of Nebraska, it is very rare to see a horse with shoes. Some horses may need to be reset sooner, and some can go a little longer. Just remember that a horse's feet need to be checked and the hooves trimmed approximately every six weeks to keep them even and to prevent breakage. Your farrier is the best person to consult in order to determine just when a reset is due. Wear and tear is more of a factor in the summertime when lighter evenings allow people to hack our after work/school. Farriers help horses and never intentionally cause a horse pain. Having your horse's shoes taken off, the hooves trimmed, and the shoes reapplied is called resetting or re-shoeing. When possible, a " barefoot " hoof, at least for part of every year, is a healthy option for most horses. This is comparable to people who live in tropical communities that rarely need to wear shoes and people who live in the mountainous, rocky areas that must wear shoes to prevent getting sores on their feet. Relevance. The nails go into a tough part of the hoof where the horse can’t feel them. Some people suffer from fallen arches and need a special type of shoe to feel comfortable. Shoes can be reset as long as there is no excessive wear to the metal. Farriers can help horses improve gait to the horse’s full potential. These nails do not hurt the horse. Horses are as individual as people. This annoying defect can be alleviated for the horse by bending up the toe of the shoes on the front feet with a rocker toe and squaring the toe and extending the heels on the shoes of the hind feet. The information here should answer the question of just why horses need shoes. The front feet can now “break over” more easily while the hind feet will grab the ground a fraction of second sooner. This is a question often asked by new owners and not always followed by long time horse owners. 12 years, publishing 400+ articles protect racing horses that have weak hoof or leg muscles feet more than! 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