Without well-cared-for feet, you’re pretty much going to be out a horse. Routine hoof care is absolutely essential to your horse’s comfort and soundness, but are we paying for special shoes and gadgets that our horses may not really need?

Take, for instance, what Dr. Michael A. Ball notes in Understanding Basic Horse Care :

“I am a minimalist and believe that simple solutions and sound basics are the way to go for most horses. A problem might require a special shoe, but using something just because it is a fad is generally wrong. É There are numerous products on the market that propose to soften, harden, moisturize, seal the moisture in, etc. Most of these products have not undergone controlled scientific experiments and many of them, in my personal experience, do either nothing or the opposite of what is proclaimed.”

Danvers Child, CJF, of the American Farrier’s Association, shares similar beliefs as Ball, but stresses education and communication with your farrier above all else