How do you know if a horse needs shoes?

Answer 1

Horses that are used for work or recreation on hard surfaces require horseshoes to preserve the hoof. Wild horses would not have needed a harder hoof since they spent most of their time feeding and roaming grassy, soft areas. Their hooves wore down at the correct rate for their needs. Once horses were domesticated, they spent more time on roads, in towns, etc. Hooves now wore down too quickly, and were damaged. A metal horseshoe, uniquely fitted to the animal, gives the horse stability and protection from these new elements that nature did not design their hooves for.

Not all domestic horses have horse shoes. Some owners let them go "bare feet". But if the bare feet horses go on rides they need boots, for their hooves. Most bare foot horses are just companion horses not riding ones.

However, horses are fine being barefoot as long as they are being ridden mostly on dirt or sand. As long as the hooves are in good shape (not too long, not too short, not cracked, and of the right angle), it does not bother a horse to walk barefoot. In fact, shoeing a horse when not necessary can compromise blood circulation in the foot, causing lameness. Keeping them barefoot creates better circulation, important to keeping their feet and hooves healthy. On average, a horse's hooves should be trimmed by a farrier every 6-8 weeks (or, if shod, their shoes should be replaced about that often). The horse should wear shoes if it is ridden a lot or if it is often ridden on pavement or gravel. This prevents their hooves from wearing down faster than they can grow, and protects them from these hard surfaces. Also, some horses need special shoes if they have leg or foot problems.

And yet, wild horses do not live on lush green soft pastures, nor dirt pastures, nor any other soft surface. They run on rocks that could be used as a rasp. That is how their feet are gradually trimmed as they need it. The truth is that in the wild, horses hooves are just as hard as the ground they travel on. The frog develops calluses and becomes tough against the rock too. Barefoot horses are way better off for many reasons, the main one being hooves flex with every step. This helps pump blood through the legs, and horseshoes prevent that, so it actually shortens your horses lifespan.

So in reality, there are various reasons that each horse owner has for their horses to have shoes and not have horse shoes. To each his own.

Answer 2

Horses in the wild are grazers, and so spend most of their time on the grass. Their hooves grow continually, and are worn down enough that they stay in good condition and around the same length. Domesticated horses, especially in the past when they were the main form of transportation for humans, were required to work a lot harder. They often kept walking or running constantly for eight hours or more each day, and kept up to this by being fed vast amounts of grain and cereal which are not part of the normal diet. This amount of work on hard, stony roads wears down the hooves much faster. Iron horseshoes protect the hoof from the excess wear. They also help prevent stones from bruising or cutting the hoof. A horse with hooves worn unevenly or into the quick (causing pain) becomes very lame and refuses to move. It was no use to anybody in this state, and so horseshoes were required. Horseshoes can also correct some defective gaits (like clipping or outstepping) and structural problems with the hoof (sloping too much or too little, too concave, split or unevenly worn) and help the hoof to heal if it has been damaged. One was placed on each hoof to balance and protect all the hooves. Not that often Not often Once a month, usually done when changing shoes

Answer 3

*Grammatically correct/correctly spelled version of question:* "Why do horses wear horse shoes?"

In short- The same reason you wear shoes.

Not all horses wear shoes, but when they do it's to protect their hooves from being damaged. You see shoes on horses with sensitive/already damaged hooves wearing shoes, as well as horses that have to walk on hard dirt or stone.

Answer 4

Horseshoes protect the horses's hooves when riding on a dirt/or stone, or hard road. Wild horses did not need horseshoes because they galloped and trotted on grass, which won't harm their hooves.

Answer2:

Horses sometimes need shoes as they will wear down their hoovoes faster than they can grow out while being ridden and trained. They may also need them for medical purposes and due to conformational abnormalities.

Answer 5

Iron horseshoe were used to keep a horses hooves from wearing down too quickly. Once horses were kept in stables they had a tendency to become 'soft footed' and the hooves would wear down on the rough stone and dirt streets of the time. If a horses hoof wears down too quickly it will become sore and lame and if it continues to move on the damaged hooves it could lead to the horse needing to be put down.

Horseshoes were used long before metals such as iron came into play as a shoeing material. The first horseshoes were made of leather and plant type materials that fastened on like a sandal. Wood was used next and those were nailed on with small metal nails. Finally true metals were used for the entire shoe.

Answer 6

If their feet are really teneder like they dont want to step on hard ground. I would just get shoes to make your horse more comfortable.