A horse’s hooves, like our nails, are made from keratin which is a soft, easily breakable substance.Horses that do a lot of manual work like helping to plow fields, riding in races, and transporting goods need extra protection on their feet. Excessive wear and tear can cause them to crack or break, which will hurt a horse.As a horse’s hooves naturally grow, trimming them from time to time and fitting a horse with new shoes often is very important. Horses need shoes to navigate tough and abrasive surfaces, which would otherwise hurt the sole of their feet. Many horse owners choose to shoe their horses or fit them with metal boots, which help to naturally protect them against any damage, and keep them healthy for as long as possible. To know more about why a horse’s hoof needs shoeing, read on!What is the purpose of horseshoes?Horses have hooves made of keratin. Our nails and hair are made of exactly the same substance called keratin, so this substance is pretty soft and prone to breaking quite easily.Similar to our nails, horses’ hooves continuously grow, albeit slowly. Tame horses need constant hoof care, with trimming and grooming being necessary to keep them clean and in shape.Humans have used horses for many purposes over the year. From riding, racing, carrying used goods, and helping to plow fields, horses spend quite a lot of time on their feet. It does not really help that their hooves are sensitive and made of soft keratin. How do horse owners keep their horses from feeling any discomfort?As the hooves of horses are very soft, constant running or walking over hard surfaces like concrete and pebbled roads can cause a lot of wear and tear. They can even create small cracks in the hooves which can become infected, or cause the hooves to completely break, which will cause a lot of pain to the horse. To tackle this problem, metal horseshoes and boots were invented. Similar to the shoes we wear, horseshoes prevent the surface of a hoof from sustaining too much damage and allow horses to walk and run comfortably on harder, uneven surfaces. Their hooves would be damaged if they had to go barefoot across these surfaces. Horseshoes also help to provide extra support to horses who have naturally cracked hooves, or weak and sensitive legs. Horseshoes also help to increase their traction on slippery surfaces like wet or icy roads and reduce the stress put on the legs by their immense weight.Staying in stalls can also cause damage to a horse’s hooves- it may have to stand in urine for long periods of time. The ammonia present tends to weaken the hoof wall, as it naturally causes keratin to become soft and weak. This can pose a big problem to a horse without shoes. There are different types of horseshoes for different activities. Horseshoes are made to order and installed by people called farriers. They specialize in the smithing of metal shoes and hoof care. It is also very important for farriers to shoe a horse correctly because incorrectly placed nails can dig into the soft part of a horse’s hoof and cause it pain, which can lead to long-term damage. Briefly pressing the hot horseshoe fresh from the forge onto a horse’s hoof to mark where the shoe will be fixed is called hot-shoeing. If done correctly, this won’t harm the horse at all, who will not feel the heat.Do horseshoes hurt the horse?Horseshoes are curved, U-shaped plates that fit naturally onto a horse’s hooves. They are fixed to the harder portion of the hoof using metal nails so that they do not cause any pain to the horse. Once they wear down, they can be replaced.The nails are hammered into the outer part of the hooves, around the edges. This part of the hoof does not have nerve endings and is tougher than the inner parts of the hoof, so it is not sensitive, and working on this area does not distress the horse in any way. In fact, horseshoes are specifically designed to alleviate pain caused to horses by walking on uneven terrain or by bearing their weight for large periods of time. Most horseshoes are made of metals like aluminum and steel. Steel is durable and tough, giving more protection to a horse’s feet while aluminum is lightweight and a better shock absorbent.Why do wild horses not need their hooves trimmed?Domesticated horses have been conditioned to a life of comfort compared to wild horses over the years. Many horses are simply used for tasks for a few hours at a time, after which they are let free in grass pastures or in comfortable stables. Due to the lack of activity in wild areas, their hooves tend to grow out and are not as hard or sturdy as those of wild horses.On the other hand, wild horses do a lot of exploring and roaming around, often on untamed terrain. This causes natural wear and tear to their hooves, because of which they stay short and ’trimmed’ in a sense. Our feet work in a similar way. Wearing shoes and socks keep our toenails safe from the natural wearing out they would be subjected to if we were to go barefoot.Since horses do not go barefoot often and do not roam around rough terrain for food, the only way their hooves wear down is if we trim them for them. There is a debate as to whether horseshoes are actually beneficial or if they are unnecessary. This depends from horse to horse. Some horses have naturally tough hooves, and leaving them barefoot actually helps to make their hooves stronger and make them more adaptable to different types of terrain. In this case, these horses do not need to wear shoes for their entire lives as they do quite well without them.However, on the other hand, there are horses that have equally sensitive leg muscles and weak hooves- with minute cracks and a soft foundation. If these horses are left unshoed, it can cause permanent hoof and nerve damage. In the end, it is always best to consult a farrier in whether a horse should be shod or left.The daily activity of the horse also determines where it needs to be shod or not. If a horse spends all of its time walking on soft mud or in pastures and stalls, then it may not need to be fitted with horseshoes. However, if it is used for riding and competes in races, then nailing on horseshoes is a good idea as it helps to protect the horse’s hooves in the long run.How long should horseshoes stay on?Horseshoes conform to the natural shape of a horse’s foot, which is constantly growing. Similar to shoes, steel horseshoes sustain wear and tear as they are used, and need to be replaced after a particular amount of time to keep the hooves safe and healthy.Due to the natural growth of a horse’s hooves, the recommended period for keeping horseshoes on is between four to eight weeks. The average time a pair of horseshoes must be used is six weeks. If a shod horse sustains a leg or foot injury or twists its hoof, the horseshoe must be removed in order to allow adequate time and space for recovery. These shoes must also be replaced once the heel of the hoof extends past the shoe. At this time, it should be trimmed and a new horseshoe nailed onto the hoof by the farrier.Farriers may choose to re-use a pair of horseshoes if they are still in good condition, but their shape needs to be readjusted to fit the ever-growing hoof to protect it better. Otherwise, discarded horseshoes are usually sent for recycling. Since they are made of metal, they can be melted down and repurposed.Many people consider horseshoes as a lucky talisman, and you may find horseshoes hanging over many front doors, with the ends pointing up. In the past, being a blacksmith was considered to be a very lucky trade because they worked with fire and iron, both powerful materials. As horseshoes are one of the many items made by blacksmiths, people took to hanging them above their doors with the ends pointing up to catch any good luck headed towards the house. Some people believe that the U-shape of the horseshoe is thought to hold good luck and keep it from flowing out.Some people believe that if the ends are pointing down, then it allows good luck to flow out and surround the house, banishing all evil forces. Either way, pointing up or down- the horseshoe has come to be a lucky charm for some people.
A horse’s hooves, like our nails, are made from keratin which is a soft, easily breakable substance.
