What is the relationship between normal and optical surface?orWhat is optical surface and how does it relate to normal
I jump my horse and he is barefoot, but with that in mind he is by no means a competitive horse anymore so he doesn't need them. Shoes as already said give traction to the horse when they are jumping big heights, in bad conditions. They also protect the horse from being worn down if they are being worked a lot. Some horses needs shoes if they have bad feet and need the extra support when doing anything. Edit:: Whoops, meant to put extra protection.
Being unshod gives them some minor traction advantages, and saves some minor damage to the hoof wall. But at least in the upper levels of Eventing, many horses have trouble staying sound without shoes, and you cannot apply studs without having shoes on. And studs are very important as you get up there in the levels, and the terrain isn't always perfect. So most upper level horses are shod. Actually, there are shoes that are meant to provide support- Support for various inner structures of the hoof. What do you think heart bar shoes are for? /wp-content/u
I prefer putting shoes on my barrel horses, because of the wear and tear.. it is very demanding. But if a horse is just a pleasure horse, i think you should go as natural as possible.
I think 2 Face is an accomplice!
I say unless their feet have major issues or they are on hard/rocky ground a lot, every horse is better off barefoot. It allows the hoof to expand and contract, which absorbs shock and they can grip well barefoot to the ground. Barrel racing and jumping are totally fine without shoes, if not better (unless your horse fits the situation above). Shoeing really doesn't benefit the horse in most cases. And many problems can be solved without shoes. But you really need a barefoot trimmer or a farrier trained in trimming specifically for barefoot riding horses so the hooves will be properly balanced.
