Hoof care is critical to our domestic equine population. Roughly 80% of lameness issues originate due to hoof related structures so it's a critical area of the horse. Horses need to be comfortable on their hooves as they are typically standing on them for 22+ hours a day. Roughly 60% of a horse’s weight is loaded onto the fore limbs and feet at all times, meaning that a 1000lb horse is loading each fore hoof with about 300lb of pressure to the ground. This pressure needs to be shared over the hoof structure not just loaded onto isolated regions. The following information will apply to most horses but exceptions exist.

Professional hoof care should be provided based on the individual animals need. Care of the hoof should be decided based on the individual horse and not just a standard protocol. The three most influential factors to development of the hoof and cycle length are genetics, nutrition, and wear. Growth of the hoof is mostly controlled by the animal’s genetics and nutrition with an average of about 1/4in of wall growth per month, less at some times of the year. Some horses grow better hooves, no amount of supplementation will change that. Animals that are fed adequate nutrition will grow the best hoof that their individual genetics allows with the exception of animals that have had trauma to the hoof. The counter to growth is wear. In nature, horses travel constantly, and the ground surface wears down the hoof. The entire hoof is being worn down in the barefoot setting. With protection from shoes, the wall at minimum is protected and with some shoes the sole and frog as well. Shod horses do not wear adequately for extended cycles and cycles should be based on the growth rate, never exceeding 8 weeks. The average domestic horse will need hoof care at an interval of 4-8weeks, the actual cycle length is best determined by conversations with your hoof care professional. Some shod horses will need 4 week cycles. Some barefoot horses will need 4 week cycles. The individual animal dictates cycle length. Imbalance and additional length/material can have negative impacts on the horse. These can be sources of immediate lameness issues or cause increased stain that results in chronic conditions later in life. We as owners are the party responsible for the care of these animals needs and hoof care is a need not a luxury.

 

One of the most debated topics in the hoof care industry is barefoot versus shod. The individual animal has final say on this matter in my opinion. My own are maintained barefoot but if their workload increases, they do not maintain adequate comfort to be barefoot. My hard and fast rule for a horse to be barefoot is IT MUST BE COMFORTABLE IN ITS LIVING ENVIRONMENT. If the horse is in a paddock, it must be able to travel freely in that paddock without obvious signs of discomfort to and from water and feed. If the horse requires boots to be comfortable in it’s living environment, then it needs more and is not currently a barefoot candidate. It is cruel to keep an animal in a state of discomfort for one’s own mindsets. Today, there are so many options beyond just standard steel shoes. Examples of acceptable protection options include glue on shoes, cast wraps, polyurethane pours, any number of casted or glued on products, and of course traditional metal shoes. There are typically three reasons why shoes or more correctly hoof devices are applied to a horse. Number one reason is protection. If wear because of lifestyle or living environment exceeds growth, then a hoof device is necessary. Medical reasons that additional protection might be necessary are conditions such as laminitis, coffin bone fractures, abscesses, caudal heel pain, and so on. If this protection is necessary on a temporary basis for specific events, transport, medical reasons; then boots are acceptable. If the animal needs this protection at all times, then a hoof device should be applied in more permanent fashion (cast, glue, or nailed). The second reason that horses are often fitted with a hoof device is for increased traction. This need for increased traction is the result of our desire to do activities with these animals. Any kind of show, sport or performance activity may require additional traction. Race horses often have traction added for better application of force to the ground. Cross country horses often have traction added to improve stability on the terrain. Carriage and police horses often have need for additional traction on concrete and blacktop surfaces for safety. Different equine activities have requirements, sometimes these requirements are beyond what is capable of a specific animal in a barefoot scenario. Just because one individual animal successfully manages an activity in a barefoot scenario does not mean that every other animal can or should nor that individual animal will under all circumstances. The third most common reason for adding a hoof device is to alter mechanics. This is commonly necessary for therapeutic (corrective) reasons. Horses that suffer from hoof related issues will often need certain mechanics changed. The most common mechanic that we alter with hoof care devices is leverage. Leverage is the how we look at the force in which the hoof and tendons have to overcome to perform motion. While we often discuss the leverage of the toe, leverage exists in all directions around the hoof; aliments such as side bone are in part a result of side leverage on the hoof capsule. Hoof care devices can add or reduce leverage. Most boots add leverage which makes them less than ideal for a number of therapeutic conditions or long-term protection. Additional leverage is often added to foals with poor conformation while reduction is commonly suggested for a host of lameness issues including ring bone and caudal heel pain. The addition of a hoof device is not the only way to add mechanics to a hoof, barefoot trimming and alterations to the trim can alter some mechanics. There are limitations to the mechanics that can be added via a trim, reduction in leverage is only possible via hoof wall reduction, invading the sole compromises the protection of the bone and vital hoof structures. One shouldn’t sacrifice protection for mechanics.  While leverage is the most often addressed mechanic it is not the only, additional hoof devices may alter tendon tension and joint alignment via wedging. They can be used to load or off load pressure on certain areas of the hoof like load sharing with a bar shoe for a coffin bone fracture. And personally, I find that hoof devices can serve a critical role in improving comfort by reducing concussion in the hoof. I have repeated case studies showing improved lameness with the use of concussion dampening devices such as poly shoes. These are arguments for shoeing, but not all horses need to be shod. If the horse is comfortable in its living environment, barefoot is often optimal. A barefoot horse can wear based on its needs. This wear allows the individual animal to set its own leverage and mechanics. Hoof care is still necessary to maintain balance and if wear does not equal growth. Some hoof problems are better managed with frequent balancing (trimming) of the barefoot animal and encouraging the animal to move. There is no absolute correct answer to the barefoot or shod question, the decision needs to be based on the animal’s comfort and individual needs. No animal should be forced to be uncomfortable to comply with a strict mindset of a human.

 

Photographs of the hooves can be a great asset to evaluate the changes to the hoof over time. Most owners are not capable of recognizing a hoof at end of cycle before harm is potential. When an owner sees and thinks that a hoof is due for trimming, it is often 2-4weeks past due and the tendons have been under as much as 2x the tension and stain. Becoming skillful at photographing the hoof can help train one to see the more subtle changes and recognize abnormalities sooner. We strongly encourage owners to photograph their horses’ feet post trimming from the side (lateral view) and the front (DP view), then again at different time intervals of the cycle to compare. This is also a good habit if any therapeutics are being done to monitor that the same mechanics are in place as needed while additional hoof care cycles occur. Though mechanics often change during recovery and changes should be discussed with hoof care provider and veterinarian. Photographs should be taken at ground level perpendicular to the hoof for side and front views. Sole photos should be taken such that the camera is parallel to the ground surface of the hoof with limited shadows on the sole. These techniques provide the most information from the images and will help train your eye. The owner has to be the advocate for the animal and what is best, but in order to be a good advocate one must have some knowledge.

 

The hoof care industry is evolving. We have new techniques. Research is ongoing with new ideas coming out. Challenges to the traditional ways are being made. The result of all of this should be the realization that those of us that are in the industry need to be striving to learn more. There is value in the traditions and these often serve as the groundwork to which our knowledge is built but it is only the foundation and not the final. In just the last 3 months, I have been humbling reminded that I know so little about the hoof. As I seek out more information, more connections, and more resources; I understand that I am just at the beginning of this journey and that at best I will likely never fully understand the basics. While the hoof might seem like a simple structure, it is actually quite complex and must be an amazing structure to support the weight of these 900-1200lb beasts we ask so much of. We should all be understanding that we achieve better care through better education.

 

Dr J Alltop, DVM APFII
San Pedro Veterinary Service- 2025