By Don Chandler, CF
Entire books could be (and have been) written on this subject. I won’t attempt to make this article an all
inclusive instructional manual on shoeing horses, but rather a set of guidelines for horse owners to judge
how their horse’s feet are doing, combined with some of my opinions and observations. I’m sure I’ll irritate
some people in the process, most notably owners and shoers of draft show horses, and hardcore barefoot
enthusiasts.
So please bear with me and feel free to pick out the valuable information and toss my opinions in the
waste bin if you’re so inclined.
I’ve entitled this article “shoeing heavy horses”, rather than “draft” horses for several reasons. First; many
of the draft breed horses I trim or shoe are not actually used as draft animals, but rather are shown in
hand, used as huge riding horses, or are simply pets. This obviously affects the way they are shod.
Second; some breeds that are not traditionally considered draft breeds, such as gypsies, halflingers, and
some “drafty” warmbloods share certain relevant conformational characteristics with the draft breeds,
particularly the shape of their feet and their size to weight to foot size ratio.
thumbnail to
view a larger
picture then
use your back
button to
get back to
this page)
Trimming and shoeing heavy horses has much in common with trimming and shoeing any other horse, with
a few obvious exceptions, and a few not so obvious ones. Let’s start with the common aspects.
The first and most obvious commonality is the trim. All horses should be trimmed into proper balance and
kept on a frequent and regular schedule for trimming or trimming and shoeing. That simple sentence
contains the two most common reasons for “bad feet” or lameness problems that I see in all horses,
especially in the heavy breeds. Let’s look at each part separately.
First the shoeing interval. The best farrier on the planet cannot keep a horse’s feet in good shape if he
only sees the horse every three months! Most horses should be trimmed and shod every five or six weeks.
Some can go a LITTLE longer, and some must be done more frequently. Draft horses tend to be pushed
out a lot longer than they should mostly because shoeing a draft horse correctly is time consuming and
expensive. However, due to the enormous weight their feet carry and the problems this can create, they
really should be shod on a shorter schedule than many light horses.
Second; trimming into proper balance. This gets a little more complicated. Horses are not built on a
production line. Each horse is conformationally different and a competent farrier must know how to
evaluate the horse, compare it to his or her knowledge of anatomy, physiology, gait analysis, etc., and
balance the horse accordingly. While this does get complicated, there are certain things that are common
to most horses that owners can use to help them decide if their horse is being shod correctly. Of course,
since all horses are different, if you read these guidelines and then see something out of whack on your
horse, you should ask your farrier to explain what’s up before you fire him on my say so! So, here goes,
some basic guidelines to help you evaluate your horses trim or shoeing. This evaluation should be done on
a flat, level surface, with the horse standing squarely, bearing weight equally on each foot. Well, horses
bear a lot more weight on the front end, but you know what I’m getting at.
First, look at your horse’s feet from in front of the leg. This doesn’t necessarily mean in front of the horse,
as some horses stand toed in or out. Try to line up the middle of the cannon bone on each leg with the
center of the toe, with the flexor tendons hidden behind the leg. From this point if view, your horse’s foot
should look symmetrical. The inside (medial) wall may be slightly more vertical than the outside (lateral)
wall, especially on hind feet, but they should be close. Both walls should make a straight line from the
hairline to the ground, with little or no flaring. The hairline should be parallel to the ground, not tipped in or
out. Draft horses tend to have fairly low angled side walls compared to saddle horse’s feet. By this I mean
the “cone” shape they form when viewed from the front is comparatively wider at the base. This
conformation combined with the great weight a draft horse’s feet bear means that if they are not properly
trimmed, or not trimmed and shod often enough, the feet have a strong tendency to flare out towards the
ground surface. This is very detrimental to the strength and integrity of the foot and must be controlled
through correct trimming and shoeing. The hoof wall is made up of horn tubules that grow from the hairline
to the ground. These tubules have far more strength in compression when straight than they do if allowed
to bend out near the ground. The weakness and leverage caused by flares can contribute to separations
at the white line, open the door for bacterial or fungal infections (thrush or white line disease), and cause
cracks and splits in the hoof wall, especially around nail holes on shod horses. Correctly placed nails
driven into healthy, balanced feet should not cause cracks or splits.
Next, look at your horse’s foot from the side. Again, try to look at the foot from the side, not necessarily
from straight beside the horse. Viewed from here, the dorsal wall (front) of the hoof should be
approximately parallel to the pastern, and form a straight line to the ground without dishes or flares. The
hairline will slope downward from toe to heel, but should be a straight line, not bowed significantly
downward at the heel. The heels of the hoof should match the angle of the dorsal wall, and not be crushed
forward at a lower angle. This next part is a little tricky, but important. Find the center of rotation of the
coffin joint, which is the lowest joint on your horse’s leg. It is located (when viewed from the side) below a
point just behind the hairline above the center of the toe. If your hand is big enough, or your horse small
enough, you can hold his foot up and grip this point with one finger or your thumb, and put another finger
on the bottom of his foot just a bit behind the point of the frog, and actually rotate this joint between your
fingers. Anyway, you don’t have to do that for the evaluation, but it will give you a clear idea of how the joint
works.
view a larger picture then
use your back button to
get back to this page)
view a larger picture then
use your back button to
get back to this page)
where the coffin joint is. Drop a real or imaginary plumb line from here to the ground beside your horse’s
foot. You can use a little square, if you have one. Draw a mark where it meets the ground. Now draw a
line where the toe touches the ground and another one where the heel of the hoof or shoe touches the
ground. The distance from the toe to the center line should be no longer than from the center line to the
heel. Ideally, the toe should be shorter in a ratio of about 40:60 or so.
OK, that should give you some idea of weather or not your horse has been trimmed into balance. Now
let’s talk about shoeing. There are many good reasons to shoe a horse, and some good reasons not to.
Some people feel that horses should not wear shoes because it is not natural and can be detrimental.
There is some validity to this claim, however there are many horses that really need to be shod for a
variety of reasons including protection from rough terrain or wear, support in soft ground or to
compensate for a conformational fault, traction to perform the work that is asked of them, etc.. Horses
with good conformation and good quality hooves that live in ideal conditions and are not asked to work
excessively or on difficult terrain can do quite well barefooted with proper foot care.
As I mentioned, there are those who feel shoeing horses is detrimental to their health and all horses
should go barefooted. They claim that shoes are not natural and shoeing will hinder the natural
functioning of the horse’s foot.
A lot of research has been done on wild (more accurately feral) horses in the western U.S. over the last
couple of decades. Like so much research, it seems, the results invariably support the researcher’s
goals.
What I really wonder about wild horse research isn’t the results themselves (which I find interesting), but
weather such research applies to our domestic horses at all. Our horses have undergone centuries of
selective breeding for specific traits and live completely different lifestyles from their wild brethren. They
live in barns and small pastures, they carry riders and pull wagons or carts, and they race, jump, rope,
and perform intricate ballet moves in the dressage arena. None of these things are natural for horses.
Thousands of years ago people learned that when horse’s lifestyles changed in a domestic setting, so
did their need for foot care. We see the same thing today with our “adopted” BLM mustangs.
My personal thoughts on the subject, after much research and years of trimming and shoeing horses,
are as follows. Horses should be trimmed to create and maintain the most physiologically correct feet for
that horse’s conformation then, if shoes are necessary, shod to interfere as little as possible with the
natural functioning of the foot while providing the protection, support, traction or whatever caused us to
shoe the horse in the first place. I realize this is quite a mouthful when you try to apply it to your horse.
In my opinion, you should consult with a qualified farrier to decide on a foot care program for your
horse. Many people consider soundness to be a black and white issue, but just because your horse is
not visibly lame, doesn’t mean he can’t be more comfortable and perform better than he is. A skilled
farrier can evaluate your horse’s feet, conformation, and job requirements and help you decide how
your horse should be trimmed and shod.
Picture taken by Katrina
Miller of Don Chandler
working on April Love
Hawke
(a 7 yr. old Gypsy mare
imported from England)
at the Medieval Gypsy
Horse Show & Demos
July 16th in NY at
Shadowhawke.
Owner: Diane L. Quay
(usded with permission
from Don and owner of
horse.)
For the owners of heavy horses there are some specific considerations. These include protection and
support for feet that are asked to support a large animal, what you do with your horse and, if you show or
compete, rules of the governing organization and the opinions of the judges can also be considerations.
I have studied the history and techniques of shoeing heavy horses with great interest, even though I don’
t actually consider myself a draft horse specialist, as some farriers do. I really like the mellow, friendly
nature of these horses, and shoeing a big horse carefully and correctly with a set of handmade shoes is
very satisfying. It is also very hard work.
Looking back to the days when draft breeds were used for everything from plowing to carriage and coach
horses and delivery vehicles in cities and towns, the types and styles of shoes for these horses was
almost limitless. ‘A Handbook of Horseshoeing’, by Dollar and Wheatley, published in England in 1897
describes and illustrates dozens of types of shoes for heavy horses to address every type of work they
were asked to do in those days.
In today’s world (in the U.S. anyway) heavy horses are mostly used for recreation. Some are used for
plowing or logging, but it is by choice not necessity. A very few are used for street work, pulling tourists or
in parades, the most famous being the magnificent Budweiser beer wagon hitch of eight giant
Clydesdales. Most drafts today, however, are used to pull wagons, carts, or sleighs for recreation or in
shows, or for pulling contests at fairs and, as I mentioned earlier in this article, many draft breeds that I
shoe are used for riding or shown in hand.
These activities require different types of shoes, but not the vast array of yesteryear. I shoe most of the
draft breed horses that are used for riding just as I would any other saddle horse, with the obvious
differences in the size of the shoe and the size of stock it is made from. I fit the shoe in standard fashion,
that is to say, it should fit the foot quite closely around the toe and back to the widest part of the hoof,
from there to the heels it should gradually taper out so that it fits an eighth to three sixteenths of an inch
full at the heels, maybe a quarter of an inch on a really big horse. The heel of the shoe should come
back behind the heel of the foot slightly as well. This allows for the expansion of the rear part of the foot
as the horse bears weight, and gives some posterior support to the foot. Remember the ratio of forward
to rearward support we talked about during the discussion of trimming? The heel support of a shoe can
help establish this ratio.
I make the shoes out of stock appropriate to the horse’s weight, maybe as small as 3/8”x 3/4” for a small
Halflinger, and as large as 1/2”x 1 ¼” for a large Percheron or Clydesdale. Despite the trend towards
massive shoes in the show ring, too much weight on any horse’s foot, even a huge, powerful horse,
increases the strain on muscles, tendons and joints. It may enhance a horse’s flashy action in the ring,
but it increases the chances for injuries, both immediate and long term or repetitive-use type. Enough
shoe should be used to support the horse’s weight and last to the next shoeing, and no more.
The next thing to consider is traction. Horses used on pavement, ice or snow, or asked to pull heavy
loads on soft ground will need traction added to their shoes. This can be accomplished several ways, but
should be done judiciously. Too much traction increases the chance of rotational injuries to the leg as
the horse turns, and high caulks or studs can injure an opposite leg if stepped on. There can also be
increased risk to other horses if your horse is inclined to kick others in the pasture. Enough traction
should be used to minimize the risk of slips, but no more.
American style draft horse show shoes combine several of these hazards in one set of shoes. These
shoes, frequently and incorrectly called “scotch bottom” shoes, are generally made of excessively heavy
steel, and are fit very full, usually with pads, and beveled or “scotched” to fit the foot. Front shoes are
frequently squared at the toes and sometimes have caulks on the heels or borium (tungsten carbide
flakes for traction) for street work. The hind shoes are generally fit very close on the inside branches,
and usually narrowed toward the heel, and fit very full and long on the outside branches. The outside
heels are normally trailered or brought back and out from the horse’s actual heels, and frequently have a
heel caulk on the trailer.
The idea of these shoes is to accentuate the horses action in the front (by adding weight and length),
and to bring the horse’s hind legs closer together (the caulk on the trailer hits the ground first and grips,
turning the foot out and forcing the legs in). Close hocks are historically a desirable conformational trait
thought to improve the horse’s ability to start a load, and so are exaggerated in the show rings today.
This type of shoeing obviously places tremendous strain or a horse’s legs. When you consider that many
show horses are very young animals, not yet fully developed, the results of such strains are predictable.
A most (probably THE most) noted draft horse farrier of modern times (maybe ever), Edward Martin, is a
fourth generation Scottish farrier who has shod Clydesdales for sixty years and has won numerous
awards including world championships. In his book “shoeing the draft horse”, he has little good to say
about modern show shoeing. He actually goes as far as saying “it is a bad, bad practice and one which
no self respecting farrier would want to be associated with”. Instead, he promotes the time honored
traditional approaches that stress a balanced foot and shoes of appropriate size and weight for the horse
with balanced traction suitable for the work the horse is to perform.
I have to say I agree with him. Ribbons in a show ring are nice, and to breeders and trainers trying to get
top dollar for their horses, they are critical. However, horse’s action should be bred and trained, not
artificially enhanced by shoeing at the expense of the horses. Unfortunately, until show rules are
changed, these shoeing practices are likely to continue.
Well, this article has barely scratched the surface of the subject of shoeing heavy horses and it is
already much longer than I had planned. I hope it gives you some idea of what to look for when
considering a hoof care plan for your horses. If you find it raises as many questions as it answers and
you would like to learn more, there is an almost limitless amount of information available. I will list some of
my references for this article below, if you should feel inclined to learn more.
Principles of Horseshoeing II, by Dr. Doug Butler, PhD.,CJF,FWCF
A Handbook of Horseshoeing, by Dollar and Wheatley
Shoeing the Draft Horse, by Edward Martin
Guidelines for Evaluating Farrier Competitions and Certifications, the American Farrier’s Association.