Protection

• The major reason to shoe a horse is hoof protection. Shoes protect a horse's foot from the hard surface of the road or rocks in the field, and prevent cracking, bruising and breaking.
  
  

Traction

• Horses that pull carriages, carts or plows often need shoes with a hard surface to provide better traction and wear. Horses that jump, rein or perform dressage maneuvers require special shoes that provide special traction for their disciplines.
  
  

Correction

• Horses, like people, sometimes need corrective shoes. Incorrect motion, gait problems and hoof irregularities and imperfections can be corrected with proper shoeing.
  
  

Healing

• Horses with navicular or founder need special care by vets as well as farriers. Correctly applied shoes can help alleviate pain and aid the healing of these conditions.
  
  

Disadvantage

• Shod feet are more difficult to keep picked clean than bare feet. A kick from a horseshoe hurts more than a kick from a bare foot. Shoes need to be removed, hooves trimmed and shoes replaced at each farrier visit, every four to six weeks.
  
  

Shoeless?

• Some horses don't need shoes. Broodmares, horses not being shown, growing colts and those that are sure-footed on soft pasture typically are not shod.