The trotting noise you hear when a horse passes by you comes from the shoes that a horse wears. Now the debate on shoes or barefoot has gone on for ages to no end. A horse that has shoes is called a shod horse.
Eventually, it depends on the owner of the horse or for what purpose the horse will be used. Shoding a horse is actually situational, it doesn’t always work, but if it does work, it is actually great for the horse.
If you’re stuck on deciding whether shoeing your equine is a better option or not, this article will help you out. Read on till the end to find out why you should shoe your horse, and how it can be beneficial for your beloved equine.
What does it mean when you shod a horse?
When you shod a horse, you make your horse wear metal shoes for situations that are brought upon because of domestication or the condition of their stables. It is done by a professional farrier who knows how not to hurt the horse. As there are no nerve endings present at the hooves, it can’t hurt.
A horseshoe is not something we’re unfamiliar with; they are mostly made out of aluminum or steel and placed on the hooves by slightly but securely nailing them.
Why do horses need to be shod?
Horses need to be shod for corrective purposes for old or injured horses and can make their lives easier, along with more comfortable. Here are all the advantages of a shod horse:
- It is great for horses with diseases such as arthritis, laminitis, or ringbone
- The horses gain versatile qualities as riding horses.
- Shoeing provides with better grip making it easier for the horse to make hard stops.
- It is easier for a horse to balance the weight of the rider and tack.
- Shoding provides extra protection to riding horses in the cold.
- It is better for horses who work a lot, such as police horses or horses that pull carriages
- The hooves do not get too long to be injured.
- A horseshoe will protect the hoof from wearing away.
Why Should You Shod a Horse?
This depends on from owner to owner, each owner shoes for different reasons. Some are just lazy or do not want to be responsible for making the decisions of whether the ground or terrain is appropriate for the horse’s feet. If the area of your residence has an abrasive or rocky terrain, then it is best for your horse to be shod.
Over time natural selection played its role and eliminated horses with a weaker hoof. In the past, horses would get plenty of outside time or exercise; this way, with time, their feet would get healthier for the fields.
Nowadays, the horses are just as lazy as humans as they mostly stay inside their stalls. With lesser exercise, the horses in the present time do not have strong enough hooves for the rough terrains so shoeing them for protection is a good option.
We need to beware of the fact that a horse grows a whole new foot in about a year, so the shoes need to be replaced a lot more often than we think.
