Dressage horses are equine athletes who perform with power and grace in the dressage ring. They need to be be able to move freely and comfortably, and poor shoeing can lead to problems. Horse owners and riders often wonder how to tell if their sporthorses are shod properly for peak performance. To learn more, we asked Chuck Jones, a certified journeyman farrier with a diploma from the Worshipful Company of Farriers in England. He served as the U.S. Team Farrier for dressage and jumping at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He has been shoeing sporthorses for many years, and his goal is to help horses stay sound and comfortable in their job and perform at their best.

A Multi-Dimensional Assessment

Jones says that determining if a sporthorse is properly shod involves working with the horse, owner, rider and sometimes the veterinarian in a team effort. The first thing he does as a farrier is look at the feet and evaluate the basics, which include hoof balance and condition of the hooves. “After looking at the horse standing still on level ground, it is important to watch the horse move and evaluate foot strike (the way the feet land),” he says. Evaluation must look at the whole picture.

Jones says the biomechanics of the horse’s structure and movement are affected by shoeing, so it’s important for farriers to understand equine biomechanics and be able to explain it to the owner or rider. Biomechanics involves the mechanics of a living body and the forces exerted by muscles and gravity on the skeletal structure. Even though this is a complex subject often discussed among farriers, Jones tries to put it in simple terms for his clients. “Simply stated, it is the study and evaluation of the horse’s conformation, hoof and leg, in motion,” he says.

“All of us sometimes get stuck in a two-dimensional view when it comes to horses and balance,” says Jones. “We must keep reminding ourselves that it is always multi­dimensional.” It is also important to evaluate each horse as an individual since no two horses are the same. They all have differences in conformation, which affects the way the feet are shaped and how they move.

“Each horse has his own physical traits,” he says. “When a horse is brought to me to shoe, my job is to evaluate the feet and shoe the horse properly based on his conformation and his job.”

Jones says a horse may not have textbook-perfect feet, but that’s fine if they are normal for his individual conformation. The farrier tries to trim and shoe a horse in the best way for that particular horse. “We try to manage a conformation fault rather than try to correct it. If we understand how to manage it, we won’t overdo it,” he says. Trying to correct a fault with trimming or shoeing simply puts more stress on another part of the foot or leg. The trim and the shoe must match the horse’s conformation.

Considerations When Shoeing a Sporthorse

Jones explains that the horse’s environment, conformation, discipline and the footing at various shows are some of the factors that must be taken into consideration.

“Each of these factors will affect the way we shoe these horses,” he says. “Regarding discipline, for example, when we shoe show hunters, our objective is to support the low, long movement that is ideal for a show hunter and in doing so, we might use a light shoe that reduces unwanted knee action.”

Jones says there are many things to consider with the various disciplines, and the farrier must look at all these things when trying to make the right decision for that horse. The footing may be different at different shows. If the horse is working on grass, it might be wet with dew in the morning and slippery, requiring more traction than when the horse is working on synthetic footing.

“If a show jumper or event horse is working on grass, we figure out what kind of studs to add to the shoes,” Jones says. “This is based on how much moisture is on the grass, and how much is in the soil from rain. There are many variables when making these decisions.” The farrier can add a little or a lot of traction to shoes, depending on footing and the competition (whether dressage, show jumping, eventing, or some other discipline).

Environmental Effects on a Sporthorse’s Hooves

Jones notes that there are many issues that might need to be addressed when shoeing sporthorses. “These [shoeing issues] include various characteristics of the hoof, the needs of the discipline and any environmental issues that affect the hoof or the shoeing,” says Jones. “Many people don’t take into consideration the environment where the horse lives. For example, a tropical environment with high humidity is hard on horses’ feet.”

Since Jones has been shoeing horses on the A circuit for many years, he is familiar with horses going to Florida for the winter and north for the summer. “Florida is wet with a tropical environment, and this in itself is hard on horses’ feet. Many of us farriers on the show circuit are happy when these horses go north, even though it’s harder on us to travel more, with more stress and longer hours, to follow them,” he says. “We are excited for the horses to go north because their feet automatically start getting better after they get out of the tropics.”

Management Changes to Consider for Improved Hoof Health

Sporthorse performance is affected by many things, including a rider’s or trainer’s talent, but there are other important influences. “Grooms, and their attention to details regarding the whole horse and his environment, are critical factors,” Jones says. “Farm management—maintaining riding surfaces, the amount of bedding used and even how clean the stalls are—will also have an impact on the condition and health of the horse’s feet.”

He points out that sporthorses are often frequently bathed, which mimics a humid environment and can negatively affect their hooves. “Some grooms wash these horses several times a day during summer months because they don’t want any skin problems. However, this can be hard on the feet,” Jones says. It’s important to try to keep the feet from becoming too wet or saturated when bathing the horse. Frequent washing, with the feet alternately wet and dry, tends to damage the surface, resulting in more hoof cracks. It’s similar to a person whose hands are in and out of water all the time; the skin tends to crack and chap.

“It’s also common for horses’ legs to be washed with dish­washing soaps, which are designed to break down fats and oils. Thus, they tend to remove the natural oils from the horse’s hooves. This can contribute to degrading of the hoof capsule,” he says. “To minimize damage to the hoof horn, I suggest using a mild soap designed for use on animals.”

If a show barn wants to continue using dish soap, Jones asks that they apply a hoof dressing before they bathe the horse to help repel water better.

When to Reassess a Sporthorse’s Hooves

Jones says the foot and shoeing should be reassessed each time the farrier comes to trim or shoe. “The horse’s movement and the related shoeing is in constant flux, and there might be subtle changes—good or bad—reported by the rider and trainer. This might allow the farrier to see the horse in the context of his performance. Our job is to keep the horse comfortable and sound while performing.”

The rider may be the first to notice that something is a little off. Jones says it’s important to not be timid about mentioning any concerns to the farrier. “I really trust the riders,” he says. When a rider or trainer is in tune with the horse they are riding, training and competing, they can feel subtle changes. They may not be able to explain exactly what’s wrong, but they definitely know something is wrong.

Jones always utilizes any information from the rider. He then combines it with his own experience to determine how the shoeing will progress. “We watch the horse move at the walk, at the jog and again under tack. We use hoof testers to see if there are any signs of discomfort or pain responses,” he says. “There are a multitude of little things that each farrier might do to reassess the horse. At the end of the day, however, we need to find out how the horse feels when ridden. We want to know what the rider feels.”

Discussing Concerns With Your Farrier or Veterinarian

Sometimes what the rider notices may be subtle, but farriers use that information as they make their assessments. “The rider might tell me that the horse feels great, but sometimes when bending to the left, he hesitates. The horse isn’t lame, but there’s something not quite right. That gives me some direction for my evaluation. The farrier sometimes has to play detective, working to put the pieces together,” says Jones.

The rider needs to keep the farrier up to date on any changes in movement or performance. “Riders often have insight on how the horse feels when ridden, and this is very important information,” he says. “I want to be kept in the loop because it helps me plan for the next shoeing. I might need to come out sooner than scheduled and then, if needed, I can talk with the veterinarian.”

Jones notes that it’s a team effort to keep horses sound. “Each member of the team has a piece they are accountable for. We must work together to achieve success,” he says. “It’s all about the horse and rider. If it starts to become anything different than that, we need to take a new look and work together.” The horse’s comfort and soundness must come first.

For More:

• Is your dressage horse shod properly for his job? Learn more here.
• For more on how to best care for your horse’s feet to keep him healthy and performing at the top of his game, click here.