Hoof health is central to horse welfare — appropriate care, whether shod or barefoot, prevents chronic pain and lameness.
Hoof welfare is inseparable from overall horse welfare — a horse in hoof pain cannot move comfortably, graze normally, or maintain social engagement without difficulty. Regular farriery assessment prevents the accumulation of balance problems that lead to lameness over time. Barefoot management is viable for many horses but requires honest assessment of hoof quality, the horse's work demands, and surface conditions. It is not universally appropriate and should not be pursued for welfare ideology at the expense of individual hoof health. Owner vigilance between farriery appointments — daily inspection, cleaning, and checking for heat, swelling, or tenderness — enables early detection of developing problems.