Persuasive Essay: Should You Shoe Your Horse?
Should You Shoe Your Horse? Shoeing horses is a very controversial topic in the equestrian world. Many people believe that shoeing a horse is better because it protects their feet, and many others believe that keeping a horse barefoot is better because it lets the horse live a more natural life. I believe that keeping a horse barefoot is better for the horse and owner because it is less expensive, less can go wrong, and many horses don’t even need to be shod. Horses with shoes require much more maintenance than horses without. Horses have to be reshod every four to six weeks and also have to have their hooves trimmed. That can be around $90 dollars a visit. Horses that don’t wear shoes only need their hooves trimmed every four to six weeks
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Shoeing a horse too young doesn’t allow the horse’s hoof to grow and develop properly, leading to hoof weakness and conformational issues early in life. If the horse is allowed to grow before being shod, it’s hoof could adapt to be very strong and might end up not needing shoes at all. A big mistake that many horse owners do is shoeing a horse that doesn’t need shod. Horses are not born with shoes and therefor should not need them unless there is a medical or conformational problem requiring so. Shoeing a horse that doesn’t need it wastes money and can actually hurt the horse. However, shoeing is sometimes necessary and can have some benefits. If the wear of the horse’s hoof exceeds the amount it grows, shoeing is very necessary so that the horse doesn’t wear its hooves down to the bone. Another reason to shoe a horse is if the owner lives somewhere where traction is very little. Shoes can be put on the hooves to provide traction so that the horse won’t slip and injure itself. Sometimes horses are even shod for therapeutic reasons after an injury. For example, my instructor’s horse, Jasper, has arthritis in his one leg that can cause him pain. Because of this, he has a shoe on that foot to relieve pressure. Along with therapy, shoes are also used to treat lameness, disease, or conformational
Shoeing a horse too young doesn’t allow the horse’s hoof to grow and develop properly, leading to hoof weakness and conformational issues early in life. If the horse is allowed to grow before being shod, it’s hoof could adapt to be very strong and might end up not needing shoes at all. A big mistake that many horse owners do is shoeing a horse that doesn’t need shod. Horses are not born with shoes and therefor should not need them unless there is a medical or conformational problem requiring so. Shoeing a horse that doesn’t need it wastes money and can actually hurt the horse. However, shoeing is sometimes necessary and can have some benefits. If the wear of the horse’s hoof exceeds the amount it grows, shoeing is very necessary so that the horse doesn’t wear its hooves down to the bone. Another reason to shoe a horse is if the owner lives somewhere where traction is very little. Shoes can be put on the hooves to provide traction so that the horse won’t slip and injure itself. Sometimes horses are even shod for therapeutic reasons after an injury. For example, my instructor’s horse, Jasper, has arthritis in his one leg that can cause him pain. Because of this, he has a shoe on that foot to relieve pressure. Along with therapy, shoes are also used to treat lameness, disease, or conformational