At The Polls

If you scrolled down to the bottom, you saw an informal poll asking the question "What was the original reason people put shoes on horses?"

1. 22% of the people who responded said "To protect their feet."
2. 25% said they were used to aid their rider in combat in ancient battles
3. 0% thought it's done to make them sound pretty on pavement
4. 2% said it was done to help dominant horses keep order in the herd.

While this was an opinion poll, there IS a right answer. And, it's behind door #2.

In the times of war in the Middle Ages horses had to be massive beasts able to bear enormous weight, for knights rode into battle wearing full body armor and the horses themselves had vital organs protected by metal plates. Guns had not yet been invented, so these warriors had to create unique weapons for hand-to-hand combat that would not only cause damage through armor, but would cause a rider to lose his balance and fall from his steed. To increase their chances in battle, these men trained their horses to help them fight, and since the horse's only weapon was his hooves, they clad the bottoms with heavy iron so that each strike would cause more damage. Kicks from hind feet could knock a man from saddle and once he was on the ground, the front hooves could pulvarize him. If the horse couldn't reach the rider, it could still do damage to the opposing horse, and once a soldier was on foot he didn't stand much chance.

Over the years, weapons changed, the need for hand-to-hand combat was not so prevalent yet still horses were regularly shod with these iron weapons. Over time, owners tried taking these weapons off their horses' hooves only to find that the horses oftentimes limped. They believed that the shoes were then necessary and they nailed them back into place, instead of remembering how surefooted those horses had been before their feet had been trimmed and nailed to strips of iron, and thus didn't give the horses time to grow their feet into their natural, tough shape.

In the generations to come, horsemen shared the story that a horse's feet must be trimmed to fit these U-shaped irons to keep them surefooted and to avoid lameness over long journeys. And each generation passed the belief to the next.

There is no question that there is a time and a reason to shoe a horse. There is also no question that shoeing is not necessary for a huge percentage of today's horses. If you have queries and concerns about natural hoof care, mustang trims, etc. check out the links at the bottom of this page on the subject. Read some current issues of Horse & Rider, Horse Illustrated, etc. that have articles praising the natural trim.

We do own a couple of horses that wear shoes on our vet and farrier's recommendation because of medical issues (founder, etc). The rest are trimmed regularly into a natural, "mustang" shape and then left alone. The only time we have had foot problems is when an unscrupulous stable helper kept horses in very unclean stalls and the horses developed abscesses. Occasionally (and I do mean rarely!) a horse will get a stone bruise that puts him out of commission for a day or so, but the rest of the time they happily go on long trail rides (on pavement, gravel and dirt) without a hint of a problem. We never have to lead a horse home because he threw a shoe and our horses aren't able to hurt each other (or us) as easily with their feet (through accidents or on-purposes). It's an added bonus, the cherry on top, that our farrier bill is quite a bit lower.

Remember, no horse was ever born with iron shoes on his feet. Through the ages they managed to travel long distances on rough terrain, fight off predators and still be surefooted as a goat without intervention from a farrier. Generations and ages of misinformation and "we do it this way because we've always done it this way" have trained horsemen into believing that keeping your horse shod is some sort of "good horsemanship seal of approval." Do your homework and make your decision. If you make the decision to go natural, remember that it will take a while for your horse's feet to adjust to not carrying the extra weight and it will take time for his hooves to grow into a natural shape that keeps the tender part of the hoof off the ground.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to take part in the poll. Y'all come back soon!