Hot Shoeing vs Cold Shoeing

Hot Shoeing - Photo by Hans Splinter

Take it from us here at TicTac - everyone loves a nice new pair of shoes, even Horses!! No, especially horses!

But seriously, when it comes to protecting you horse's hooves, there are two main methods - Hot Shoeing and Cold Shoeing - and there are several arguments to support each method, but as with anything relating to horse care, there are also a number of factors to consider. As we all no, all horses (and owners) are different, so it's up to you to decide what works best for you and your four-legged friends. After all, it isn't you that's going to be trying them on!

However, you should always keep an open dialogue with an experienced farrier in order to get reliable advice on how to proceed. To give you a heads up though, here's a quick run-down on the basics of each method.

Hot Shoeing - is the application of hot shoes to the horses' hooves. The shoes are heated, moulded and if required after sizing them up, the blacksmith will place them back on the anvil in order to make any necessary changes before cooling them and nailing them into place. 


The advantages of hot-shoeing include: 

• The ability to draw and custom-fit clips for added strength.
• Hot metal shapes easier and more accurately than cold-shoeing.
• Accuracy - the hot impression on the hoof shows exactly where the nail holes lie, reducing the chance of pinching.
• The highs and lows of a dressed hoof will show and be corrected. 

The process can produce clouds of smoke/steam, which can be off-putting for some. And also, many voice their concerns over the loss of moisture in the horse's hooves by using this method. However, if applied correctly by a reliable farrier, the Hot Shoeing process is perfectly safe and effective.

Cold shoeing - is to simply take a cold shoe and shape it to the horse's hoof as accurately as the metal will allow before nailing it into position. Cold Shoeing tends be more beneficial for the blacksmith as opposed to the horse, in terms of its effectiveness and accuracy but it is generally less expensive, faster and more practical.

Other benefits of Cold Shoeing Include: 

• The fact that generally it's a much faster system
• Cost-wise, it's less expensive for the blacksmith and owner alike.
• This is a practical method for someone who wants to do their own horses. The investment in equipment is much less as is the skill required.
• If the blacksmith is not able to get close enough to the barn with his forge because of weather, etc., then cold shoeing is a suitable replacement.

To find out more about horse riding, and if you live near Crieff Hydro make sure you check out Crieff Hydro Hotel's Riding Centre in Perthshire. 

Horseshoes/Information on Shoeing your horse

The horseshoe is one of the most recognisable objects when anyone thinks of horses. For centuries the horseshoe has been a symbol of good luck and is still used in many cultures today as a talisman offering protection against evil forces. Traditionally, horseshoes are even given as wedding gifts as a good luck charm for the years ahead!

Perhaps more commonly in horse care, however, horseshoes are used primarily as their name might suggest - to provide protection against hoof damage for working horses.

Many changes brought about by domestication of the horse have led to a need for shoes for number of reasons, mostly linked to horses' hooves hardening less and being more vulnerable to injury. 

In the wild, a horse may travel up to 50 miles per day to obtain adequate forage. While horses in the wild would traditionally cover large areas of hard,  dry terrain, this was usually achieved at relatively slow speeds, unless being chased by a predator, so there were little fluctuations in activity or pace that would affect horses' hooves enough to require shoes. 

The result of slow but non-stop travel in a dry climate is that horses' feet are naturally worn to a small, smooth, even and hard state - the continual stimulation of the sole of the foot keeps it thick and hard. However, modern day domesticated horses are used in very different ways, which can alter the state and condition of their hooves.  

Domesticated horses, were brought to colder and wetter areas than their ancestral habitat. These softer and heavier soils soften the hooves and have made them prone to splitting, making hoof protection necessary. Consequently, it was in northern Europe that the nailed horseshoe arose in its modern form.

Most domesticated horses in the present day are subject to inconsistent movement between stabling and work, where they must carry or pull additional weight, and are often kept and worked on very soft footing, such as irrigated land, arena footing, or stall bedding. In some cases, management of horses and their hooves is also inadequate, causing, or perhaps overlooking problems that can pose a threat of disease and discomfort. 

The hooves of horses that are kept in stalls or small turnouts, even when cleaned adequately, are also exposed to more moisture than would be encountered in the wild, as well as to ammonia from urine. As a result, the hoof capsule, which is mostly made from the protein, keratin, is weakened by this exposure, becoming even more fragile and soft. 

Shoes do not prevent or reduce damage from moisture and ammonia exposure. Rather, they protect already weakened hooves. Further, without the natural conditioning factors present in the wild, the feet of horses grow overly large and long unless trimmed regularly. Hence, protection from rocks, pebbles, and hard, uneven surfaces is lacking. 

A balanced diet with proper nutrition also is a factor. Without these precautions, cracks in overgrown and overly brittle hoof walls are a danger, as is bruising of the soft tissues within the foot because of inadequately thick and hard sole material.

For more information on horse care products to help you properly look after your horses and ponies, got to the official TicTac Equestrian site.