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Why Do Horses Wear Shoes?
Horses were first domesticated around 4,500 years ago. In fact, it’s fair to say that their domestication radically transformed our world. Mounted on our trusty steeds, or seated in a horse drawn vehicle, we could go further and faster than ever before. However, along with this convenience came the need to protect horses’ hooves from the abnormal wear and tear they were now exposed to. And so, being the resourceful species we are, we invented shoes for them. Yet – many modern domestic horses no longer perform anywhere near the same amount or type of work their ancestors did! That prompts the question – why do horses wear shoes today?
Why Do Horses Need Shoes To Support And Protect The Hoof?
Horseshoes support and protect the hoof from wear and tear.
The first horsemen probably very quickly realised that lameness in their horses was often caused by bruising and uneven wear in their hooves. That’s still the case today, which is why working horses often need to wear shoes.
Horses in their natural state move slowly in search of food and water, grazing as they go. They only really run around a lot when they’re chased or are in danger. Their hooves therefore just have to carry their own body weight, at mostly slow paces. Left to their own devices, they can also pick and choose the ground they walk on, and the speeds at which they do so.
Working horses though carry and pull loads, move faster for longer, and take on terrain they would naturally either avoid or tackle very slowly and carefully. Inevitably, this has an effect on their feet! In particular – if they’re not wearing shoes then working on uneven surfaces, hard ground, and rocks can cause their hooves to wear unevenly, chip, crack, and split. That in turn causes lameness and can even injure the bones in their hooves. That’s a major reason why we put shoes on horses.
Why Do Horses Wear Shoes For Better Traction?
Horseshoes provide better traction and grip.
When horses work on uneven, slippery, hard, pebbly, unstable, or muddy ground, shoes provide traction and balance. This helps reduce the risk of slips and falls that could seriously injure both the horse and its rider or handler.
For example, horses pull carriages and carry riders on hard slippery surfaces. They pull sleighs across snow and ice. They gallop on grass, sand, dirt, stones, and mud. Work in mountains; on slippery, gravelly, and uneven surfaces; and along narrow winding rocky trails. Without shoes to provide traction and grip in these conditions, there is a greater risk of potentially dangerous slips, trips, and falls.
Horses that jump, work in snow and ice, or in wet and muddy, slippery conditions for instance may wear shoes with screw in studs for extra grip. Special sand shoes can be used on horses that work in deep thick sand to help provide balance and stability. And so on…
Do Horses Need Shoes For Correcting Hoof Imbalances?
Horseshoes help correct hoof imbalances.
Just like humans, a horse’s hooves can become unbalanced. If they have crooked legs or gait abnormalities for example, their feet will often wear unevenly as a result. Without corrective farrier work and/or shoes, horse’s hooves can also:
- Flare along the sides,
- Develop excessively high and/or narrow heels,
- Grow long toes, or wear down in too much in the toe.
Professional trimming followed by properly applied shoes can help correct or prevent these types of hoof imbalances. Shoes stop the uneven wear, allowing the hoof to grow out more symmetrically, and help distribute the horse’s weight more evenly and naturally. As a result, the horse’s overall balance and soundness improves.
Why Do Horses Need Horse Shoes To Make Their Hooves More Durable?
Horseshoes help make a horse’s hooves more resilient.
A horse’s hooves can wear down very quickly when they’re subjected to constant friction from hard, rough, or abrasive surfaces (like bitumen and cement pavements). If they wear beyond a certain point, the sensitive laminae in the hoof wall are exposed. This causes lameness and pain.
Shoes provide a protective barrier between these surfaces and the horse’s softer hooves, thus stopping excessive and painful wear, and making their hooves more durable.
Why Do Horses Wear Shoes To Remedy Certain Hoof Disorders?
Horseshoes can help relieve hoof pain and inflammation.
Some types of hoof-related disorders and problems benefit greatly from horseshoes. Horses with laminitis or navicular syndrome for example often wear special shoes designed to ease pressure on the bones in the hoof. This helps reduce inflammation and allows the bones to mend.
Wearing shoes can also help protect the hoof and new hoof growth when injuries like quarter cracks, and deep splits and cracks are growing out. They may also be necessary after hoof surgery to help hold the hoof together whilst new hoof grows.
Why Do Horses Wear Shoes?
Given that the majority of today’s domestic horses are kept purely for pleasure and sport, why do horses wear shoes still? Probably because protecting and supporting their hooves properly is an essential part of good horse management! Horseshoes can help us do that.
