Hoof health is fundamental to equine welfare. Regular farriery maintains correct balance and prevents painful conditions that impair movement, cause lameness, and reduce quality of life for horses of all ages.
Neglected hooves cause progressive, worsening pain. A horse with overgrown, imbalanced hooves walks incorrectly, placing abnormal forces on tendons, joints, and the entire limb chain. Chronic laminitis, which may develop gradually from dietary or management causes, causes horses to stand in a characteristic camped-out posture to relieve pressure on their toes, indicating persistent pain. For the billions of working horses in developing countries, access to trained farriers is often limited; hoof neglect is among the most common causes of debilitating lameness and premature end of working life. Initiatives training local farriers in developing countries directly improve working horse welfare at scale.