Why not shoe your horse?

One question I get asked a lot is “Why are shoes harmful to hooves?”

Horse shoes:

protect the hoof wall from wear (allowing hooves to get too long and putting unnatural forces on the ligaments and tendons)
can cause the frog to prolapse
cause vibration which can damage living tissue
impairs shock absorption
impairs hoof mechanism – contracts the heels, deforms the hoof and bruises navicular area
can pinch the corium
cause unnatural strain on joints
can cause thrush which can lead to permanent lameness
cause unnatural weight and centrifugal forces
nails destroy the hoof wall
nails conduct cold into the interior of the hoof
cause increased risk of greater injury and damage
prevent improper development of a young horse’s foot

Those are just to name a few of the possible and probable affects of shoes attached to the hoof by a competent farrier. Imagine the damage when shoes are applied by the many incompetent farriers out there shoeing our horses.