Yes, most of the time your horses will walk barefoot just fine. But some reasons and times make you get shoes for them. So read on to find out why horses need shoes.
1. Bet
Horses must pull when they land to avoid falling over. This trick will be better if your horse is wearing shoes. You can see it best when your horse is on the trail.
Additionally, pulling improves your horse’s other riding skills. If your horse is competing in barrel races, he will have more cornering grip.
Remember that there are many types of horseshoes. So the type of shoes your horse wears can affect the areas the horse has on the field.
In addition to the riding skills that drafts provide, your horse needs shoes to pull a lot of loads. The horse doesn’t feel much pain in the legs.
The traction created by shoeing helps horses stand for long periods of time. Remember that if a horse stands for a long time, especially on wet ground, he will have weak hooves. Also, it can cause a lot of foot problems.
But if he wears shoes, the horse can stand for a long time without pain in the legs. Nothing bad will happen if you are on wet ground.
You can also give your horse horseshoes if you want it to do a difficult task. The shoes give the horse a front toe which improves traction.
2. Protection
Horseshoes keep the horse’s hooves secure. This happens because shoes can make them more durable and resistant.
If the hooves are stronger, the horse has fewer injuries. So injuries don’t happen when he rides on hard ground, especially during a race. Since it works, there won’t be any problems as well because the foot is safe.
Shoes can also protect the horse’s hooves from rapid wear. Remember that the horse wears shoes when he treads on hard ground. Your horse is now free to perform heavy tasks for a long time.
As early as 400 BC, people began wearing horseshoes to protect their hooves from losing their shape. How long this protection can last depends on the type of shoe you choose for your horse.
But every material that makes up shoes helps them protect the hooves. These days, metallic shoes seem to be the best. In the past, soles and leather straps were used to secure the horse’s hooves.
If your horse is stabled for a long time, he needs shoes. While in stables, they are exposed to their own urine and other bodily fluids. These are the things that make the leg weak.
So, if you shoe such horses, it protects the hooves from the effects of urine. While it doesn’t completely stop the ammonia in your urine from getting into your legs, it does help a lot.
3. Medicinal use
If your horse has a medical problem, especially a foot problem, you should consider horseshoes as a solution. There are many diseases and physical problems that can affect the foot.
One of the medical conditions is lameness in horses. Shoes help reduce this problem.
Also, if your horse has had or still has disease in its toe or ring, giving it a horseshoe may help. You will see the effect of the shoes sooner if the infection is at an early stage.
But if a disease, such as toes, has penetrated deeper into the hooves, you should seek help from a veterinarian before taking shoes off. When the effects of arthritis wear off, shoes help.
You can also rub the medicine on the horse’s leg with a horseshoe. This movement helps the foot or hoof heal quickly from conditions such as fat.
Horses with leg injuries can heal quickly with shoes. Each shoe helps distribute the pressure well in the hoof.
So, if you are on medication to treat wounds, the shoes will reduce the horse’s stress. The best example to use is ovarian shoes. These objects transfer pressure from the center of the injured area to your back.
Remember that the type of shoe used for medical reasons depends on the horse’s condition. Some shoes don’t give you the medical effect you would like to see on your horse.
4. Balances the horse
Horseshoes help your horse if he is struggling to balance his body. Any horse can pull weights, run very fast and jump high. He just needs the right body pace.
Any experienced barber or vet will tell you that shoes balance the horse. If you don’t know how to choose shoes for your horse, ask for advice on a good pair of jeans.
Also, the balance achieved by a horse depends on the activity of him. The shoes a horse needs for competition are not the same shoes they need when stabled.
Some horses are born with walking problems. If so, seek help from an expert. The person will assess and shoe the best hoof to help the horse restore its body balance.
5. Secure the horse’s feet
Each horseshoe corrects the shape of the horse’s feet. If the legs are in the correct position, the horse has a better gait.
Remember that the best riding styles also come once the horse is balanced. Thus a weak leg makes the horse walk as if it were lame. But the shoes improve the condition of the horse.
People also have shoes that can correct the shape of their feet. The same goes for horses.
Some horseshoes reduce pain or weakness by correcting the feet. Some of them are like horseshoe Z-bar and shoe V-bar.
So, for example, if the leg has a quarter split, the Z-bar will help the horse distribute the weight properly. Things get better faster from here.
You can also place a V-bar on top of the horse’s frog. The shoe helps the horse’s body pump blood. When blood reaches the weak leg without problems, healing is faster.
It helps if you talk to your vet before choosing shoes for your horse. Remember that every coachman receives training on the horse’s feet and legs.
Any vet or farrier will tell you that if a horse’s leg isn’t trimmed properly it can curl. Subsequently, the problems spread throughout the body. Giving your horse a shoe can solve the problems associated with this equipment.
Remember that dry horses don’t need shoes to recover their feet. Well, that’s because fundamentals don’t weigh heavily on them. So they’re still fine.
6. Improve the horse’s athletic performance
You can improve a horse’s performance in a racing event by giving it a horseshoe. You see this effect especially in horse racing, where the horse has to use a lot of energy.
These activities include running, high jumping and cross country skiing. At these times, your horse needs more stamina.
Yes, some horses can achieve this jumping and landing power without shoes. But it exposes them to many injuries during and after matches.
They can cause bruises and sores on surfaces. It would help if you bring your own riding boots to the races.
Injuries aside, they are easy to guide and control during these matches. Remember that horses are sensitive to anything that appears to hurt them, including minor injuries and body balance. But if they have boots, you have nothing to worry about while playing games.
