To Shoe or Not to Shoe - That is the Question

by Pam North

     It is the great controversy among horse owners – should horses be
 shod?  The horse has survived and thrived for thousands of years, in
 a variety of environments and topographies, with unshod hooves, so
 the question is whether it is in the interest of equine health to
 equip the animal with horseshoes and thus possibly create more
 problems than are alleviated, or to leave the horse barefoot.
 	Advocates for shoeing make a distinction between domestic and
wild horses, claiming that wild horses developed tougher and more
resilient hooves through natural selection, weeding out the ones with
bad hooves, while domestic horses live to pass along the genetics
that create weak or malformed hooves.  They also argue that feral
horses do not have the same conditions imposed upon them as are made
on domestic horses, such as carrying the weight of a rider and being
subject to the rider's control over its path, gait and endurance,
which might cause more wear on the hooves.  
     Proponents of shoeing believe that it protects the walls of the
horse's hooves, and the muscles, bones and tendons of the legs from
injury. Horseshoes are made in a variety of materials, such as steel,
aluminum and rubber, and they usually are nailed into the hoof,
although a specialized glue also may be used.
        If horses are to be shod, a consultation with a reputable farrier is
essential.  The farrier can tell the horse owner when the horse
should start wearing shoes, the type that will work best for the kind
of activities in which the horse will be engaged. Proper traction is
essential, so there are shoes for equestrian sports (such as jumping,
dressage or reining), and for trail riding over rough, rocky terrain.
Shoes do not keep the hoof from growing.  Hooves grow about a quarter
inch each month, so trimming every six weeks is necessary for
evenness and to prevent breakage.  The farrier removes the shoes,
trims the hooves, and replaces the shoes.  Shod hooves tend to pick
up more debris than unshod ones, and the added pressure can cause
soreness, injury and bacterial infection, so the horses hooves must
be picked out each day to remove foreign matter.  Shoes also can
catch on steps or rails
     Paul Forbes, of Forbes Farrier Service, generally believes in
shoeing.  He says hoof wear often exceeds growth, that hooves can
become sore, break or chip, so shoes can give the hoof protection.  He
also points out the benefit of corrective shoes for gait problems, and
therapeutic shoes for injuries, and that shoes can help in maintaining
healthy hooves.  He is aware of the case for leaving a horse barefoot,
and says it has its place; there are no lost shoes to deal with, and
it is less costly.
     Those against shoeing cite strong arguments to let horses go
barefoot.  Jim Brattin, of Rocky Mountain Natural Hoof Care, is a
believer in keeping horses unshod, and says it improves their health
and soundness.  He cites several problems resulting form shoeing:
preventing natural, healthy wear and callousing; causing
malformation of new hoof growth; restricting circulation and
inhibiting the hoof mechanism; increasing shock and vibration in the
hoof, bones and joints; inherently damaging the very structure it is
meant to protect; concentrating weight-bearing and impact pressure
onto a small percentage of the solar surface and underlying
structure; and necessitating potentially harmful trimming of the hoof
to fit the shoe.  Brattin says there is a growing segment of
farriers, veterinarians and horse owners embracing the concept of
keeping horses unshod, but that natural, holistic horse keeping must
be a part of the picture as well.  This includes healthy and
nutritional diet; clean boarding conditions; plenty of exercise and
movement; careful and minimal use of drugs and other chemicals;
minimization of stress and pain through good horsemanship and proper
tack; use of hoof boots if necessary; and proper hoof care and
trimming.
    Hoof boots have been around since ancient times, but currently
tend to be thought of as a "spare tire" when a shoe is lost.  Hoof
boots have great value in providing more protection than is offered by
a shoe, but without the shoe's potentially harmful effects.  They are
often used during the transition from shod to barefoot, as a
therapeutic treatment for certain horse pathologies, or for horses
that are used or ridden in harsher environments or conditions than
than they normally experience.
     Brattin believes in ethical treatment of horses so that they are
not pushed by their owners to exceed their natural limits so that they
experience excessive wear or strain on their hooves.
     Ultimately it is the decision of the horse owner to choose which
philosophy to pursue. Each horse and situation is individual,and the 
horse owner has the benefit of a wealth of information to explore, via 
books, the internet, veterinarians and local farriers, to help him
make that choice.


Resources:

Jim Brattin
Rocky Mountain Natural Hoof Care 
Boulder
(303)818-3927

Paul Forbes
Forbes Farrier Service
Coal Creek Canyon
(303) 642-7807