Horseshoeing Welfare: When Shoes Help and When They Harm

Horseshoe decisions significantly affect hoof welfare, and evidence increasingly supports barefoot approaches for many horses when management allows.

Key Facts

Steel horseshoes have been used for over a thousand years to protect hooves on hard surfaces.
Barefoot horses on appropriate surfaces show better hoof quality, improved circulation, and reduced navicular pathology in some studies.
Shoes are often necessary for horses working on hard abrasive surfaces or with specific therapeutic needs.
Incorrect shoeing including leaving shoes too long between resets causes pressure injuries and hoof wall damage.
Therapeutic shoeing for laminitis, navicular, and corrective purposes provides significant welfare benefit.
The natural horse movement movement advocates barefoot management as a welfare improvement for many horses.
Transitioning from shod to barefoot requires a managed period of hoof conditioning to prevent soreness.

Welfare Considerations

Shoeing decisions are welfare decisions that depend on individual horse hoof quality, work surface, workload, and health status. The blanket application of shoes to all working horses regardless of individual need reflects tradition rather than welfare evidence. Many horses in appropriate management can work successfully barefoot with better hoof circulation and proprioception than shod. However, horses working on hard roads or with pathological hoof conditions may have clear welfare indications for shoes or therapeutic shoeing. The welfare-conscious approach evaluates each horse individually with input from an experienced farrier who can objectively assess hoof quality, environment, and work requirements rather than applying convention uniformly.

What You Can Do

Work with a farrier who can objectively assess whether your horse requires shoes based on individual hoof quality and workload.
Explore barefoot management if your horse works primarily on soft surfaces with appropriate hoof quality.
Ensure shoes are reset promptly at the correct interval, typically 6 to 8 weeks, to prevent hoof wall stress.
Consult a veterinary farrier for horses with hoof pathology requiring therapeutic shoeing.
Allow adequate transition time and hoof conditioning if moving a horse from shod to barefoot management.