What is amazing to discover, once you start to research the history of shoeing horses, is that shoes have been known to be detrimental to the health of hooves for hundreds of years.
Not only today’s barefoot educators and practioners know that metal shoes cause problems for performance horses. Start delving into farriery texts and books on lameness and you will find plenty of references to horses needing periods of time without shoes. You will find hundreds of quotes to support the idea that shoes damage hooves and cause injuries to horses.
The following pages are just a small selection of the quite remarkable amount of evidence to support the sense behind horses remaining barefoot, if their hooves can be developed and strengthened through appropriate diet and environment.
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