The barefoot horse movement raises genuine welfare considerations around whether individual horses can comfortably transition from shoes to natural hoof care, with the answer depending on horse-specific factors.
Barefoot horse welfare is genuinely individual: some horses transition successfully and show improved hoof health and comfort; others never achieve adequate sole thickness or natural hoof architecture to work comfortably without protection. Welfare problems arise at both extremes of the debate: dogmatic insistence on keeping horses barefoot when they show signs of discomfort causes ongoing suffering, while automatic shoeing of all horses without considering individual natural hoof potential limits the welfare benefits that appropriate barefoot management can provide. The transition period is a welfare-sensitive time - horses moving from shoes to barefoot on hard or stony surfaces may be uncomfortable for weeks or months while hoof structure adapts. Hoof boots provide an ethical intermediate option that protects soles during work while allowing the circulation and sensory benefits of barefoot turnout. The welfare principle is that comfort is the primary goal, whether achieved with or without shoes.