The barefoot horse movement advocates managing horses without traditional metal shoes, with proponents citing hoof health benefits and critics raising concerns about welfare in horses transitioning from shod to unshod management.
The barefoot versus shod debate centres on genuine welfare questions about natural hoof function versus the practical realities of domestic horse management. The evidence suggests that well-managed barefoot horses on appropriate terrain with correct nutrition can have excellent hoof health. However, poorly managed barefoot transitions cause welfare harm through persistent soreness and inadequate support. Neither approach is universally correct; the welfare-focused question is whether the individual horse in its specific management environment is comfortable, sound, and able to move freely. Good farriery and good barefoot trimming both aim at the same welfare outcome through different means.