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Does your horse need to wear shoes?

Does your horse need to wear shoes?

Updated on February 03, 2023
Reviewer Profile Photo
Reviewed by Petco’s Animal Care
Education and Compliance (ACE) Team
horse shoes

Deciding whether to shoe your horse or not can depend on many things. It’s best to discuss with your horse’s veterinarian, farrier and trainer (if applicable) before deciding to go one way or the other as a transition can take a plan and time.

Understanding Hooves

A horse’s hoof is made of keratin, the same material that makes up a human fingernail, and like your fingernail, does not feel pain when trimmed. A horse’s hoof naturally gets ground down as the horse moves around. Without any protection, the hoof can be ground down too far causing sensitivity and pain, much like a human nail being cut too short. Metal horseshoes can be attached, typically with nails, to the bottom part of the hoof, and assist in making sure your horse’s hoof is both protected and not ground down too quickly. Also like your fingernail, the hoof continuously grows, meaning the shoes will need to be removed regularly (typically every 4-6 weeks) for the hoof to be trimmed to an appropriate length.

Should Your Horse Wear Shoes?

Although metal horseshoes are common, there are many differing opinions across the industry on what is best for your horse. While it does not cause the horse pain, some feel using nails to secure a shoe on a hoof is unethical and often utilize a glue to adhere the shoe in place of nails. Metal shoes are placed on the outermost rim of the underside of a horse’s hoof, so when a horse places weight on its foot, the pressure will mainly end up where the shoe is located, around the edge of the foot. When a horse without shoes puts weight on its foot, the pressure spreads more evenly across the bottom of its foot, dispersing the weight across a larger surface area. Due to this, some people choose a more natural approach and allow their horses go without shoes. Horses can sometimes go back and forth between wearing shoes and not wearing shoes as long as their hoof is appropriately strong, healthy, and the correct length.

Horseshoes or Hoof Boots?

Deciding if your horse needs shoes, or what kind of shoes, can be a personal choice but can also depend greatly on the type and extent of activities and surface textures your horse is regularly on. A horse regularly on rough surfaces can grind down its hoofs more quickly than a horse regularly on soft ground and may be a greater candidate for shoes. Similarly, a horse that regularly competes, is regularly used on trails, or regularly carries/pulls a heavy load may also be at a higher likelihood of grinding its hoofs down faster than they can grow. For those with working horses needing protection that do not want to use metal shoes, utilizing boots during activity may be an alternative option. There are many horse boots options, which like shoes can come in different styles for different purposes and can be changed out easily. Since these boots can so easily be taken on and off, your horse can change its boots dependent upon the surface texture or activity type and can easily go without boots when they’re not needed. Be sure to follow product label instructions as some boots are built for short term wear while others can be left on for longer periods of time.

Special Considerations

Some horses may have hoofs that will always require special shoe protection due to the shape or prior injuries. Just like human fingernails, a horse’s hoof’s growth speed or strength may come down to genetics and some horses may naturally need more protection for their feet than others. A healthy diet is critical to a horse’s overall wellbeing but can also assist in strengthening and regular growth in a horse’s hoof. 

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