The hooves are just about the most easily affected part of a horse’s body. The hooves can crack, rot, break off, etc. Those are just a few reasons that you should find a suitable blacksmith.
Contrary to what some people may say, your horse should be re-shod every six to eight weeks. A horse may go lame if his/her hooves have grown out.
Take a look at the job your blacksmith is doing. How hard is he hitting the nail into the hoof? Is he rough with the horse? Make sure he doesn’t hit teh nail into the hoof too hard and make sure he knows about horses and knows how to get along with them.
Most blacksmiths would agree, you should put some hoof conditioner of your horse’s hooves about every one to two weeks. This will keep your horse’s hooves healthy and they will have a less liely chance of cracking and breaking.
Tip
If you do not have and shoes on your horse’s hooves, you shouldn’t ride the horse. It is more likely that your horse’s hooves will crack/break while riding if there are no shoes.
