When to Use Square-Toed Shoes on Horses

There is a lot of controversy regarding the use of square-toed horseshoes, especially after the success of several brands of square-toed "natural" shoes. However, square, or slightly blunted horseshoes can fix tendon injuries, poor gait and pulled muscles. These problems should be assessed by a specialist or farrier who knows what type of shoe can fix the problem. If used incorrectly, square-toed shoes can do more harm than good.

  1. Tendon Problems

    • Square-toed shoes shorten a horse's break-over; that is the time it takes the hoof to roll forward and leave the ground. When break-over is quicker, the horse stretches its tendons less. This can help a horse with tendon problems, like over-stretching, or a horse with pulled muscles associated with tendon problems.

    Interference

    • Square-toed shoes can fix gait problems like forging, overstepping or interference. These problems arise from abnormal conformation, lack of training or age. Square-toed shoes on the back legs solve overstepping by shortening the stride of the hind legs, keeping them from making contact with the front ones. Interference can be fixed with these shoes on the hind legs, keeping the horse from hitting one hind leg into another. On the front legs, square-toed shoes can keep a horse from forging, or hitting its front foot with the same side back foot as it walks or trots.

    Gaited Horses

    • For a gaited horse, stride is of paramount importance. If the horse does not have gait problems, square-toed shoes should never be used because they can ruin the horse's gait. If however, the animal is stepping too long or too low, these shoes can be used to shorten or raise that part of the stride. Each leg must be assessed individually in determining whether or not to apply square-toed shoes. Corrective shoeing should not be used in place of proper training and cannot fix genetics.

    Long Hooves

    • Horses with long hooves (from heel to toe) are often just lacking adequate farrier care and need a good trim. However, a horse with naturally long hooves can benefit from square-toed shoes. The shoes make up for the horse's badly shaped hooves and shorten its toes.