Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs - New Zealand Farriers Association

Do shoes restrict the hoof capsule movement?

In a word, NO! In fact ask a farrier to show you a shoe that has been removed from a horse and the chances are that it will show evidence that the hoof has worn a groove in the steel surface that the hoof rests on. A well fitted shoe with the nails placed correctly forward of the widest part of the hoof cannot restrict movement in the heel region. That is why vets prescribe remedial shoes to be fitted to a horse that fractures its coffin bone. Vets know that an ordinary shoe will not give the hoof enough support nor will it limit the amount of heel expansion the hoof undergoes on each stride therefore making it nearly impossible for a successful outcome. To take it even further most farriers would opt for casting material in conjunction with a handmade or extremely modified keg shoe to eliminate heel expansion which is essential in the successful repair of a fractured pedal bone.