back to shoes with one horse, because of arthrosis

by Susan Pfeifer
(Gers, France)

I am a barefoot advocate and all my horses have no shoes and for all of them this works really well, except one. GMG Special in Black is an American Quarter Horse gelding, we got him at the age of 6, he had shoes up to then and when we bought him, we changed to barefoot.

He was always sensitive to hard surface and stones and would always choose the grass to walk on. This has not changed in 6 years. He is 12 years now and I must say his feet are very small for his size and weight. This I would call unnatural, because it is a result of breeding. His left leg now seems to have some arthrosis, at least this is what I think. He is slightly lame sometimes when going on a left circle. He does not want to put all his weight on his left front foot. So when a very experienced farrier saw him, he said this horse would benefit from some support. He meant shoes that are a little wider than his feet. We said we would give it a try, because yes there is some logic to it. Small feet - heavy horse.

We started with his front feet and put shoes on and from the beginning he was more comfortable on hard ground and walked more freely, but still hated to go downhill. After a couple of months we shod his hind feet as well, and there is really a huge difference. He is happy to move again and seems less worried of his left front foot. It is so obvious that he is much happier with shoes, that I really have to say, it always depends on the horse and circumstances. I will not narrow my mind anymore to 100% barefoot, although I would always prefer that, no question!!!


HHT's Response

Thanks for this interesting contribution. It illustrates that addressing the source of a deep-seated problem is often a lot more complex and difficult than alleviating the symptoms.


It is true that shoes provide support and lessen the discomfort of hooves that, for whatever reason, are not providing the horse with enough support in themselves. This is why shoeing has been so popular for such a long time.

The problem is that the damaging effects of shoeing are much less obvious than the relief they seem to provide. Part of the reason that a shod horse seems to have more comfort in his feet is that they are literally numbed by the lack of blood circulation resulting from the rigidity of the shod hoof. Secondly, the nerve centres of the hoof are no longer stimulated in the same way because of the loss of contact with the ground.

Unfortunately the price for this apparent comfort is an underlying exacerbation of the problems that made the hoof sensitive in the first place, even if they are very well masked by the shoes.

This is why, personally, we would try to address this kind of discomfort in any other way possible, rather than returning to steel shoes. For example, using hoof boots with pads to protect the horse from hard surfaces while being ridden, and these can also be used for turnout if need-be. Plastic shoes are also an option, although still nailed-on, at least they do not have the rigidity and concussive effect of steel shoes.

Concerning sensitivity, the diet is also an important consideration: does the horse have a consistent hay diet? Or does grass make up a large proportion of it? This can dramatically increase hoof sensitivity due to it's high sugar content.

In this case, the farrier has clearly come to the conclusion that the source of the problem is feet that are too small for the bulk of the horse. However, a small foot that is healthy and has within it strong supportive tissues has no reason to be made sensitive from the weight of the horse. Hooves are adapted to support an enormous pressure when the horse gallops, rears, bucks and so on. Equally, large feet that are not healthy can also be extremely sensitive. It really isn't the size that counts, it's the solidity of the internal structures such as the digital cushion, and the overall healthy functioning of the hoof.

It is commendable that you stuck with barefoot for six years without seeing much improvement, but if the horse had already been shod up to the age of six, then probably by this point significant damage had already been done to his feet by the shoeing. The period up to the age of five is the crucial time when the digital cushion should change into a more fibrous tissue, giving the hoof significantly more support. Unfortunately shoeing often prevents this change from taking place, and even if the horse goes back to being barefoot afterwards, it is too late - the interior weakness will remain. This is why using hoof boots is so important as a replacement support.

Six years of barefoot may seem like a long time to give the hoof to recover, but in our experience, with a horse who has had shoe-damage at an early age, a real improvement may take a lot longer than this. We had a similar circumstance with a mare we took on at the age of seven, having been previously shod. We have now had her barefoot for ten years, despite still showing significant signs of shoe-damage, in the last two years her feet have started improving markedly in their strength and form. Incidentally, during this time she has also made profound changes to her whole musculo-skeletal system due to therapy and work in engagement, which is bound to have made an impact on the health of her feet.

At the end of the day, the decisions we make for our horses come down to what our basic priorities are. For us, shoes - by their very nature - inhibit the natural healing process of the body, and because healing is our fundamental priority, we would not resort back to using them in any case. However, if the priority is removing the discomfort as quickly and practically as possible, then shoeing is clearly a possible option, in the same way as relieving a headache by taking pain-killers.

As you say, it is not about what is right and wrong, simply about what choices we make and why. Sometimes promoting log-term health and happiness is a very long road which is not without discomfort and painstakingly slow progress.

This discussion is continued in the Comments section below. For Happy Horse Training's conclusions on this subject see:
Life's Innate Healing Potential