Should Horses Wear Shoes or Go Barefoot?

Should horses and similar animals wear horseshoes or go “barefoot?” It’s not a facetious question. Horse owners have strong opinions on both sides. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that nature’s own way would be worse for an animal, but in some cases, shoes, like medical interventions, can improve an animal’s quality of life, particularly when they are living in artificial human environments. But as research grows and practices evolve, some equine experts suggest that there isn’t a “one size fits all” answer to the question of horseshoes.

What Happens to Hooves in Nature?

In the wild, horses, donkeys, and other hoofed animals naturally wear down their feet by walking and running in varied terrain. Their hooves adapt to the environment and stay short, balanced, and healthy without human intervention. By contrast, domestic animals often face unnatural conditions—limited movement, hard surfaces, and heavy workloads—that can cause uneven wear or injury. In these cases, regular trimming or shoeing can provide protection and comfort.

What Happens If You Neglect a Horse’s Hooves?

This video shows what happens when a pony’s hooves are not trimmed and the animal doesn’t get enough exercise on hard surfaces to wear the hooves down. Without proper care, a domestic horse will soon not be able to walk properly and can damage the bone structures of the foot.

What Animals Get Shoes?

Shoes aren’t just for horses. Other working animals may be shod as well. Donkeys and mules have tougher hooves but may still need shoes for rugged work. Where oxen are still used for pulling loads, they can be fitted with shoes designed for their cloven hooves. Though rare, some working camels in the Middle East and North Africa wear protective pads. Even elephants in captivity can be fitted with custom boots for injury prevention. In circuses, these boots were helpful because elephants were used as working animals to move loads, raise tents, and perform. Regardless of the animal, the goals of shoeing are always the same: to protect the foot, support health, and improve performance when natural conditions aren’t enough.

The Role of the Farrier

Farriers are trained specialists who care for hooves by cleaning, trimming, shaping, and shoeing hoofed animals. Here’s how the process goes:

1. Cleaning the hooves to remove embedded mud, rocks, and debris

2. Examining for cracks, infection, or imbalance

3. Trimming the hooves to prevent overgrowth and keep them symmetrical

4. Shoeing by custom-fitting a shaped metal shoe and nailing it into the hard outer hoof wall

5. Finishing by clinching nails and checking movement and fit

This process may be repeated every 6 to 8 weeks, depending on hoof growth and workload. For “barefoot” horses, the process ends after trimming, but with or without shoes, a farrier is crucial to protecting the animal’s hooves from imbalance or injury.

Ask An Expert: Ryan Kelly, Farrier

To learn more about the profession, we got in touch with Ryan Kelly, a farrier with 25 years of experience serving the northeastern corner of Tennessee near Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol.

We speculated with Kelly that social media may be contributing to increased interest among young people. This video features a thoughtful interview conducted by a young woman with Kelly, accompanied by a slideshow of him at work.

Do Horseshoes Hurt?

It might seem like shoeing a horse would be painful. The horseshoe is heated red-hot to make the metal malleable, and the farrier beats each one into the correct size and shape to match the individual hooves. He applies the hot horseshoe to the hoof to sanitize the surface and prevent infection and to seal it to make a better surface for bonding, then he nails the shoe to the hoof.

Painful as it looks, none of this hurts the horse if done properly. The outer hoof wall has no nerves and feels no pain. It’s made of keratin, just like human fingernails. Cutting your nails doesn’t hurt unless you cut too close to the quick, and the same is true of horses. Pain only occurs when trimming is too aggressive or nails are driven into sensitive inner structures, which can happen with an inexperienced or careless farrier. An experienced and compassionate professional understands the animal’s anatomy and psychology so they can manipulate its leg and control the animal in a way that is comfortable, predictable, and low-stress.

See For Yourself

Here’s a video of a farrier in the U.K. illustrating the process of re-shoeing a horse. You’ll notice that although he works quite firmly and aggressively with the hoof, the animal does not show any signs of discomfort. Nor does it react to having the hot shoe placed on the hoof or when it is nailed in. It’s just the horsey version of a mani-pedi!

Domestic Hoof Care Philosophies

When you think about it, it’s really amazing that a horse’s delicate-looking ankles and hooves can bear so much weight, absorb shock from high-speed running, and pivot with such agility. If even one leg gets broken from a misstep, traditionally the animal had to be euthanized, though today valuable animals or beloved pets may in some cases be rehabilitated with surgery and physical therapy. So there’s a lot at stake in protecting a horse’s feet and ankles from injury. There are two main schools of thought on how to care for hooves:

• Natural: Advocates believe hooves function best when unshod, supported by regular trims and natural living conditions.

• Shod: Proponents argue that shoes provide critical support and protection, especially for horses on hard terrain, with hoof issues, or in demanding sports.

Let’s explore the pros and cons of each approach.

The Case for Shoeing

There are three main reasons proponents of shoeing say it’s a better choice:

1. Protection from Excessive Wear

Some horses wear down their hooves faster than they can grow because they do much more walking on hard, abrasive surfaces than they would do in nature. Examples might include police horses or urban carriage horses that walk on concrete most of the day, or pack or riding animals that routinely walk on rocky trails. For these hard-working animals, shoes protect their feet from cracks, bruises, and getting worn down to the point of painfully exposing nerve-bearing tissue.

2. Corrective and Therapeutic Use

In some cases, a horse may have structural problems or chronic conditions with their hooves that trimming alone can’t fix. Specialized shoes can redistribute pressure to improve alignment and manage hoof deformities.

3. Improving Performance

Some horses are pushed to their limits in high-performance roles, such as racehorses and other sporting horses, herding horses used by ranchers, or trail animals in national parks. In many parts of the world and in the United States, among traditional communities like the Amish, horses are used as draft animals or for plowing or pulling carriages. Shoes in these cases can give the horse more traction and leverage and prevent it from slipping in demanding or competitive environments and in different weather conditions.

The Case for Natural Hooves

Here are three of the main arguments in favor of natural, horseshoe-free living for horses:

1. Natural Flexibility and Function

Barefoot hooves can expand and contract with each step, boosting shock absorption and blood flow. Shoes often restrict this movement, increasing stress on joints and internal structures. Without shoes, horses can better feel the ground, which helps improve balance and reduce the risk of missteps or falls.

2. Healthier Hoof Structures

Contact with the ground stimulates the frog, the V-shaped structure under the hoof that acts as a shock absorber and aids in circulation and support. This stimulation can improve overall hoof health and resilience.

3. Reduced Injury Risk

Shoeing nails driven improperly can hurt the horse’s foot or wiggle free and cause the shoe to become loose and even fall off, potentially tripping and injuring the animal. Nail holes can weaken the hoof wall and cause infection. Dependence on shoes can weaken natural hoof strength. Barefoot horses do not face these particular risks. However, transitioning a horse from shod to barefoot can be uncomfortable and may require the use of hoof boots, dietary changes, and environmental adjustments to ensure success.

Hybrid Approaches and Hoof Boots

Hoof boots provide temporary protection like shoes but are removable, allowing the hoof to flex and function naturally the rest of the time. They’re especially useful during transitions from shoes to barefoot or on rough terrain. Many owners today use a hybrid strategy, keeping horses barefoot for daily life while using hoof boots or glue-on protection for demanding rides or competitions. This offers a balance between natural function and necessary support. And as time goes on, new options become available.

Expert Consensus: Every Horse Is Different

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to hoof care. The best approach depends on the individual horse’s physical condition, hoof health, workload, terrain, genetic makeup, and history of injury—as well as the owner’s ability to provide consistent care. By working closely with a qualified farrier and a large animal veterinarian, horse owners can develop a personalized hoof care plan that supports their animal’s long-term comfort, performance, and overall wellness.

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