Do Horseshoes Hurt Horses? (Ouch!)

The answer is no, horseshoes do not hurt horses. Many people worry about this when they see horseshoes being nailed on. Horses’ hooves are a lot like our fingernails. The tough outer part does not have any nerve endings, so when horses are trimmed and have new shoes put on they shouldn’t feel much more than we do when we trim our nails.

Horseshoes are important and protective for many horses.

You can think of them more like work boots that protect a horse’s hooves than the silly fashion statements I was wearing in pain.

Below we will look into why horses benefit from horseshoes and how a farrier puts them on a horse.

Why do horses need shoes?

In short, horseshoes help horses stay more comfortable while they work.

Horses’ hooves grow much like human fingernails, and need constant maintenance.

Horses that work and walk constantly may wear down their hooves on their own, like a dog that walks on hard surfaces and doesn’t need his nails trimmed.

However, most horses are not active enough to wear down their own hooves.

This means a farrier, who is trained in caring for horse hooves, will need to trim the hooves.

Conceptually, this is a lot like trimming nails.

However, it is a bit more of an involved process for the horse, and of course the trimmed part of the hoof is what the horse will walk on and bear his weight.

This is part of why a horse may walk more comfortably with shoes on after they have their hooves trimmed.

Shoes can also provide additional traction to horses working in conditions where they are prone to slip, like if they are working in snow or ice.

Shoes can also help a horse who needs a conformation issue corrected, like hooves that are wearing down unevenly.

How are horseshoes put on?

Horses get their shoes put on by a farrier.

Their hooves have sensitive parts and poorly trimming or shoeing a horse can create complicated issues that take time to recover from.

Only a trained farrier should be working on shoeing a horse.

The first step is to trim the horse’s hooves.

Hooves that are too long will interfere with the proper weight distribution of the horse, and that is a lot of weight so it is important to get it right!

The farrier will ask the horse to pick up it’s foot, get them balanced to perform the work, and take off any old shoes as necessary.

They will then trim and shape the hoof into the ideal length and shape.

The farrier will select the appropriate size horseshoe and shape them if needed.

When the shoe is ready, they use special nails to hold the shoe in place on the horse’s hoof.

The farrier is trained to nail these in without hitting the sensitive parts of your horse’s hooves.

They will trim the nails so none of it is protruding beyond the hoof, then bend over the end.

They use a rasp to remove any sharp edges on the nail.

How often are horseshoes replaced?

Horses are typically scheduled to get new shoes about every 6 weeks, although depending on how their hooves grow they may need to get new shoes more frequently.

Aside from hoof growth and the calendar, you might notice some other signs your horse needs new shoes.

For one, the nails used to keep the shoes attached to the hoof might come loose or break off.

Also, the shoe itself might come off while the horse is working or walking in a field.

This is called “pulling a shoe” and sometimes you’ll never find it!

It is important to get them re-shod soon after pulling a shoe because now their feet are at uneven heights, which can cause other issues and injuries.

Horseshoes may also just loosen and bend or twist, which means someone may have to pull the shoe off before the horse loses it, for safety.

Another issue that can come up is a hoof injury.

If a hoof is cracked the horse may need to have that issue addressed and special shoes to replace the ones they were wearing.

Always get your farrier’s or vet’s advice when dealing with an injury.

Why do some horses go barefoot?

Some owners prefer that their horses go barefoot, meaning without shoes.

This is frequently a heated debate in the horse community and among owners.

For the unshod horses, they may wear down their hooves themselves or get regular trims without needing shoes.

Horses that can safely go barefoot will develop tougher soles of their feet, and the work can be good for creating stronger hoof walls.

Shoes can also restrict hooves from their natural expansion and contraction, as well as change the weight distribution through the hoof.

Additionally, for horses that can stay safe and healthy without shoes, it can be much cheaper to forego shoes and simply get regular trims for a horse.

It bears noting, it is easier for a horse to go barefoot if they always have.

These horses have the benefit of developing their hooves over time, as opposed to horses that are used to wearing horseshoes and have developed with them over time.

However, it is possible to transition a horse that was wearing shoes to become a barefoot horse.

Do so with careful input from your farrier, who can help trim the hoof to make a transition more successful.

Lastly, it is also possible and common to have shoes only on the front feet, which is another good option to consider if it suits your horse.