Does my Horse Need Shoes?

Question

15.2hh arab X Tb Just Coming Back into work in the school and hack [ off road ] does she need shoeing ?

Answer 1

probably not but it depends on your horse, your desires, and if you have a good barefoot farrier avalible or not.  Most horses never need shoes if you've got the time and the right people to help and the desire to keep them barefoot, which is often best for the horse.  But I doubt you need them for this kind of work.  Try it and see how it goes.  I really hate to shoe horses unless there's no other way to keep them sound.

Answer 2

I think so but maybe not does it walk on grass only

Answer 3

Ask your farrier his or her opinion and monitor how the horse does. If the horse doesn't get bruising and/or cracks and chips then he should be ok.

He's probably had shoes before, which makes going barefoot more difficult than if he never had them, but with regular trims and monitoring by a farrier his feet will toughen up.

Answer 4

You could always compromise and just put shoes on the front. We actually do that to all of our horses and they are never on the pavement but you never know! Our farrier suggests always putting shoes on and if nothing else just the fronts. Because our farrier is my grandfather I know he isnt trying to make money off of us that is his honest opinion!

Answer 5

no maybe

Answer 6

yes it will hurt the horse with out the right sized shoes

Answer 7

If your horse will be on hard surfaces often, she needs shoes. If she will mostly be on grass/dirt surfaces probably not. If in doubt ask a farrier or your vet.

Answer 8

i disagree with Marie B...in my experience the horse slips MORE on pavement with shoes ON.. Whether she needs shoes depends on her feet and how hard they are.  my Appaloosas havent been shod in a year, but they have hard feet.  Also, if you don't shoe them, if you do ride on pavement no cantering and minimal trotting.  the faster you go the more chipping and splitting you are going to get.

Answer 9

Not at all.  If she has been without shoes for a while, her feet are probably quite good.  To put shoes on her would cause damage to her hooves and put other stresses on her limbs and body.  If she is sound, leave her alone.  She will do great without shoes.  The more stimuation her feet get, the stronger they will be.  It's a win, win.

Answer 10

shoes should be the last resort. try her out for a week or so and if she seems to be tip-toeing around then i would try putting shoes on.

Answer 11

The best answer to that question would come from your farrier. Ask him/her the next time they are out. Tell them what you are doing with your horse and what you plan to do with your horse, and judgeing your horses feet then, he can give you a better idea if shoes would be a good idea or not. Typically, all arabs I have known need shoes, and all TB's I know that are in decent work need shoes, so if your TB/Arab has smaller feet, shoes definitely couldn't hurt.

Answer 12

If she is barefoot now, leave her that way.  If she has been shod, it takes some time to grow out the damaged hoof wall.  If you can find a good farrier who is proficient at barefoot trimming, your horse is better of without shoes.  The hoof wall actually needs to expand and contract to maintain and sustain the tissue inside of the hoof....it can't do that with shoes on.  Good farriers know how to finish the trimmed wall to prevent chipping.  Shoes don't prevent stone bruises, etc.  The sole of the hoof also functions to support inner structures and should be allowed to thicken...old school farriers take most of it off.  So, the degree to which you can successfully go barefoot depends somewhat on the skill of your farrier....spend more to find a good one....it's cheaper than shoes.

ADD....My horses are barefoot...I have ridden barefoot horses on trails, roads, in shows, over rocks, and everywhere you can imagine.  I've never had the kinds of problems shod horses routinely go through .Interestingly, going barefoot is the very thing that prevents brittle hoof walls by  allowing the walls to expand and contract and increase blood supply that strengthens the walls, and yet people still put shoes on to accommodate brittle hooves.  It makes no sense.

Answer 13

depends on the horse. put her onto biotin which will help stimulate hoof growth and start riding and see how she goes. If her feet get excessivly worn or she starts to get foot sore then have her shod but if she can cope without shoes it is much better for her feet. Be aware that it can take a month or two for a horse to get used to going barefoot but if she has been barefoot while off work this should be an easier transition.

Given that the hacking is going to be off road she should be able to cope but it does depend a lot on the individual horse and the quality of their feet.

Answer 14

I own 2 Arabians and recently asked the same question.

From my instructor: "The question is not do they need shoes but why would you shoe them. Unless they will be on rough or hard surfaces, they need to be barefoot. Shoes are for special surfaces, for a hard working horse, for shows and to help horses who need them for defects such as cracks, chips and club feet. So unless the shoes are for a specific reason, leave them barefoot."

From my farrier: "Arabians are known for having hard, sturdy little feet. I've never worked on an Arabian with bad feet. Leave them barefoot unless you plan on working them hard or riding on gravel or the road." He has 30 years of experience.

My research on the 'Net backed both of them up.

Answer 15

if she goes on the road because she could slip or fal more then wth no shoes

Answer 16

Arabs are known for having very strong feet.

Thoroughbreds are known for having bad feet.

I'd say that your horse would be fine without shoes, but this is a question better suited for your farrier.

Answer 17

I would talk to your farrier. TBs typically have bad feet but not always. My thoroughbred has better feet than most. Arabians typically have good feet but there are always exceptions. I would not put shoes on and see how it goes. If she gets sore or 'ouchy' then she will probably need them though. I hate putting shoes on horses if there is any possibility of them not needing them. Most of the horses at my barn go without shoes all the time without a problem.

Answer 18

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i would always recommendd having shoes on your horse,

becuz anything can happen to them when they dnt,, --

mostly the hooves get chipped and weak and without shoes '

its easier for the horse to catch mud fever_~ and many other feet fevers

      although you dnt have to have shoes on all 4 hooves

   just the front sounds best for your horse

.,> LetMeKnow if ThisHELPs.x

Answer 19

Depends on your horse.  Are her hoof walls brittle?  Chipping, cracking?  Does her sole bruise easily?  I'd try her out for a week or so unshod, then have your farrier check for sole bruising with a hoof tester.  If she's cracked, chipped, or bruised, she needs to be shod.  If her hooves are in great shape and no tenderness in the sole, you can likely go unshod.  My arab mare hasn't been shod since I stopped doing parades on paved surfaces.  My TB mare must be kept shod (all 4 feet) even is she's just turned out or she cracks and chips.  It's going to depend on the specific horse.

Answer 20

Your horse will be able to tell you. If she is footsore then she will be better having shoes.Horses hooves harden up over time once introduced slowly to hard ground, but some horses naturally have softer hooves and need shoes. Your farrier will be able to tell you more about your horses hooves.

Also, damper climates make a horses hooves softer.

The Kabardin influenced horses we have here are so hard footed that they dont even need shoes - not even on the hardest ground. And our climate is very hot.

Answer 21

Unless you're going to be on especially rough ground, like riding on a gravel road, I don't think shoes are necessary. I know lots of people that trail ride their horses without shoes.

The feet of a horse will toughen up naturally when you get them out and riding. As I said on a related question horses in the wild don't wear shoes, do they?

But ultimately you have to evaluate for the specific situation. I do have shoes (on the front feet only) on one of my horses, but I just do that because he is older and his previous owner always had shoes on him. So I kept it up.

David

http://gentlenaturalhorseman.blogspot.co...

Answer 22

You need to ask your farrier this question. No one on here can answer you 100% correctly. It depends on your horses hooves, not what people on here think.