Do draft horses need shoes? “It depends,” said Doug Butler, founder of Butler Professional Farrier School in Crawford, Nebraska.

Traditionally, draft horses naturally
have strong hooves and don’t need shoes. However, years of selective
breeding focused on cosmetics rather than conformation and utility has
increased the number of draft horses that require shoes year-round to
keep the horses sound. Chances are if you buy a horse with good solid
feet, you’ll never have to shoe a horse.

“In Europe most draft horses have good
feet due to rigorous culling,” he said, “but draft horses in the United
States have weaker hooves with Belgians and Percherons known for having
better feet than Shires or Clydesdales.”

Even draft horses with solid hooves
may eventually need shoes. Traditionally, farms that relied on heavy
horses for working the fields and other farm tasks only shod the horses
when absolutely necessary. The horses were left barefoot until their
hooves wore more quickly than they could regrow or in situations when
the hoof needed extra protection. “There has been a barefoot movement in
recent years, mostly driven by economics,” he added.

The type of footing, how often the
horse is worked and the natural structure of the horse’s hoof all play a
role in determining whether or not a draft horse needs shoes. “Most
working draft horses in the United States aren’t working hard or often
enough to need shoes,” he explained. “An exception to this is farms or
communities committed to horses as the prime source of farm power.”

However, if the horses are working in
soft ground or on hard surfaces they will likely need shoes to maintain
the integrity of their hoof. “Hard surfaces will wear a horse’s hoof
down quickly,” he said. Horses working in sticky ground may also need
shoes with heel caulks to help them during plowing or pulling.

In years past, logging horses were
“sharp shod” with shoes that featured a welded toe-grab. Toe grabs
measured two to three inches wide and as much as one inch in height.
These were applied to logging horses regularly worked on snow-packed,
slippery areas that were dangerous. Today, the sharp caulks have been
replaced with four to five studs drilled and threaded or driven into the
shoe toes and heels.

In years past, logging horses were “sharp shod” with shoes that featured a welded toe-grab. Toe grabs measured two to three inches wide and as much as one inch in height. These were applied to logging horses regularly worked on snow-packed, slippery areas that were dangerous. Today, the sharp caulks have been replaced with four to five studs drilled and threaded or driven into the shoe toes and heels.

What type of shoes do drafts need?

When a draft horse is shod, it’s
likely the shoes will have toe clips. Every stride a draft horse takes
exerts a tremendous amount of force on a shoe as the hoof strikes the
ground. A toe clip alleviates the additional strain on the nails and
cinches.

In Europe, specifically Scotland,
draft owners tend to use shoes that are ½-inch thick and 1 ¼-inch wide.
“It’s tradition in Scotland and the horses are worked intensively,” he
said. Draft horses in the United States are unlikely to need shoes that
heavy. “Here it’s better to use 1/2-inch thick stock by 1 ¼-inch wide
stock on the front hooves and 1/2-inch thick by 1-inch wide stock on the
hind hooves because horses aren’t worked as hard in the U.S.,” he said.

Most purchased draft horse shoes are
manufactured in Europe. Originally, wrought iron was the metal of choice
for draft horse shoes, but today they are made from mild steel. Draft
horse shoe styles are much more limited than light riding horses.
Farriers are limited to four main styles of machine-made shoes: keg shoes, Scotch Bottom, Scotch Bottom Show and synthetic shoes.

Keg Shoes are the most
commonly used shoe. They have an open-heel designed for a hoof trimmed
with a short toe and small perimeter. Borium is added to these shoes for
added traction for horses worked on streets.

Scotch Bottom shoes are
another common option, especially for horses working in soft ground. A
fuller toe and a boxy shape prevent horses from sinking into the ground.
The term “scotch bottom” literally means that the edge of the shoe is
beveled or angled to meet the angle of the foot. Given the strong
tradition of working horses in the soft ground of Scotland, this shoe
was a standard option.

Scotch Bottom Show Shoe is
straight across the toe, full at the toe, wide and heavy to accentuate
the horse’s movements in the show ring. Horses wearing these shoes are
encouraged to grow longer, flared hooves, which contribute to stride
action.

Synthetic Shoes are
constructed of nonmetal materials and most commonly used on horses
working on streets. The shoes are designed to absorb the concussion of
the hooves striking pavement. Many cities have banned steel shoes with
traction devices from streets to limit damage to pavement, making
synthetic shoes the only choice.

Pads are often placed in between the
horse’s hoof and the shoe. Pads can soften the impact from pounding on
hard surfaces and can protect the horse from big rocks that can bruise a
horse’s hooves. Halter horses also tend to wear pads, which help to
enlarge and enhance the look of their hooves in shows.

Finding a farrier

Not all farriers are willing to trim
and shoe draft horses. “It’s hard work and you have to have extra
equipment like stocks, a larger anvil and forge to make draft horse
shoes,” Butler said. Those farriers who do accept clients with draft
horses often charge double the going rate for light, riding horses to
cover the additional labor and equipment needed to do the job.

Though draft horses are often called
gentle giants, they are not always willing to cooperate for the farrier.
“Draft horses are trained to drive, pull a wagon or work. They’re not
trained to pick up feet,” Butler said. “When a farrier arrives to trim
they can be uncooperative, making the job more difficult.” When draft
horse owners take the time to instill ground manners specifically, “a
farrier should reward you for working with your horse,” he concluded.

For additional information or to find a
draft horse farrier in your area, it may be best to contact a draft
horse shoe supply company in the United States that manufactures and or
sells draft horse shoes nationwide.