Chile Off Track tour

When deciding on whether or not to take horseshoes off for the winter, take a look at the conformation of the hoof before doing so.Many people believe in pulling shoes and turning horses out barefoot for the winter is a good thing. However, there are some problems with this idea. Also, if the horse is working through the winter it's not necessary. Farmers that used horses to plow would often remove shoes because there was no chance of keeping shoes on during the winter when the horse was released to pasture. Snow and mud most likely would pull it off. These days, the daily jobs for horses does not involve plowing and people are still riding in the winter. Secondly, pulling shoes may not be ideal based on the conformation of the horse. Take a look at the horse's hooves before pulling shoes and keep in mind, horses may be sore after wearing shoes and then going barefoot. Horses that are candidates for going barefoot will have an upright hoof with pastern angles of 54 degrees or more. Horses also will not have under-run heels. The hoof wall should be thick and the horn material needs to be dense and hard and yet show some resilience. If the horse has dishes or flares, taking shoes off will invite chipping and splits. These things should be kept in mind before removing shoes. It also depends on what the horse will be doing for the winter and whether there is time for the hooves to toughen up and callous. If the sole is flat, and not well cupped, bruising can occur without shoes. Another way to tell if conformation dictates keeping shoes throughout the winter is whether the horse is work ready at the beginning of summer or if it takes a while to adapt back to shoes. If the horse is kept in areas that freeze and is required to keep the shoes on, the horse owner has options. Shoes may be adapted to allow more traction. This includes adding creases to the shoe, studs, ice nails or screw ins. Keep in mind that the added traction will add stress to the horse's muscles so soreness might occur. A horse has the best traction when going barefoot. Not all horses have a conformation to do so. It's the responsibility of the horse owner to stay educated and to know his horse's individual needs. Consult a veterinarian or farrier for making the best choice. Regardless, the trim schedule needs to be maintained. Also, keep in mind that if the horses keep their shoes that a pad is recommended so that snow balls don't accumulate in the frog area. This would apply to horses in pasture. For more information, please refer to Doug Butler's Principles of Horseshoeing and The American Farriers Association.