Why Do Horses Need Shoes?

Shoes protect your horses' hoof. Some horses' hooves get sore if they walk on pavement or rocky ground when they're barefoot, so if you like to hit the trails a lot and travel over ground like this your horse may need shoes. Some horses, however are fine without shoes.

Whether or not your horse wears shoes depends on what work he is expected to do. If he's going to jump a lot, he will need shoes because he will be landing hard on his hooves. If he doesn't, he risks having his hooves spread, or split! However, if you mostly trail ride over soil or grass your horse is less likely to need shoes.

Farriers are people that work with horses' feet. It's good to have your farrier come regularly (every 6-8 weeks) because horses' hooves grow over time. Then the farrier trims them. They can also check if your horse is lame or has any hoof problems like thrush.

There are even therapeutic shoes for horses with leg/hoof problems like navicular.

This shoe (Imprint First Therapeutic Plastic Horseshoe) is made for early treatment of laminitis.

Farrier tools