Let’s Hit the Road

Shoeing Options For the Driving Horse

If you’ve ever tried to do an activity or job in the wrong footwear you can appreciate how difficult it can be. Obviously, comfort is the key to achieving maximum performance. When determining whether a road horse is in need of shoeing for the demands of the job, it’s helpful to ask three basic questions:

1. Are the horse’s hooves currently weak?

2. Is his overall body conformation asymmetrical? (unbalanced topline, limb misalignment see Issue 77 of Holistic Horse)

3. Is the intended workload physically stressful? (harsh footing, pulling or carrying excessive weight)

If your answer to any of these questions is yes or there are hints to a higher risk of stress that can compromise the horse, shoes can be beneficial. Of course, if the horse is of strong hoof and strong body, the workload reasonable, and ground conditions comfortable, he may do just fine without shoes.

Traditional or Modern Shoes

These days, there are many shoe material types available—ranging from good, old-fashioned iron to the latest version of composites/polymers. Consequently, choosing the best option can be confusing or even controversial.    On the whole, it comes down to these main principles:

  • Support value (providing a base to support certain bones/ joints of the limb)
  • Stability (material rigid/strong enough to prevent shoe shifting and maintain proper placement)
  • Durability (density/strength of the material being able to last a desired shoeing interval)
  • Longevity (a healthy method that can promote long-term usefulness)
  • Comfort (offering the best fit possible that can help with his willingness to perform)

Choosing traditional shoes made of Iron/metal alloy, that consist of calks, fullering (grooves in the shoe), or clips mainly offer the advantage of added support, stability, and durability. These shoes have proven to be the most lasting and affordable. Conversely, the more modern style of composite/polyurethane shoes can offer a great deal of comfort and longevity for a horse. In many situations, where chronic forms of lameness are present (i.e. limb arthritis, pedal ostitis  or navicular syndrome), these shoes have proven to be very beneficial. 

If you have decided your horse is more comfortable with shoes and you are serious about “hitting the road,” then learning the finer points of various types of “road shoes” along with finding an experienced farrier will be helpful.

Some Standard Features

            Traditionally, shoes for carriage horses are designed with a wider web (foot surface area) for more hoof wall support with a fullered (grooved) ground surface for better grip. This combination provides the most comfort and support for the horse when traveling on harder surfaces or while pulling a load. Also, hoof pads may be added between the hoof and shoe to provide additional cushion to maintain soundness.

As for roadster horses, their shoes can have some of the same features, but they are specifically built for enhanced traction capabilities, without sacrificing the ability to go at speeds that can reach 30mph (48kph).   Roadster shoes will often have the added feature of heel calks (extended, fold-down ends) to provide appropriate traction for the hinds.  

The footwear for both must provide the horse with maximum comfort and provide appropriate traction to protect against slip injuries on wet surfaces. Roadster horses, on the other hand, arose from an era when drivers desired a flashier image and had a need for more speed. Roadsters were considered the sports cars of their day. Not only was horseshoeing for traction a priority, but also fitting shoes to facilitate maximum speed.  Unlike full-fledged harness racehorses, roadsters were expected to travel at higher speeds for longer distances, for a longer period of time, and were often relied upon to get to a destination safely and soundly. Fortunately, we now have other modes of transportation to satisfy those needs, thereby allowing our roadsters to perform exclusively in the show ring. They are typically shown in three speeds: jog, road gait, and trot-at-speed.  

The Best Option?

Ultimately, the responsibility to choose the best option is up to you, the owners. Before you hit the road with your horse, it is imperative that you do some homework. A good place to start is to ask your farrier’s opinion.  He/she should be able to offer some good advice on the best path forward. In some cases, it may require a specialist farrier. Expect a higher fee, as this type of shoeing requires more expertise and is labor intensive. As a general rule, when it comes to your horse’s soundness and performance, it is wise to remember that shortcuts to spend less will only lead to shortfalls that will cost more.   

These shoes are considered special due to their intended use and the skill set required when fabricating.

A specialist farrier will dedicate many hours at the forge, honing his/her skills in order to produce a functional shoe for a roadster horse. Traditionally, the only means of acquiring this skill was to apprentice with a working master farrier. These days, there are only a few farrier schools offering specialty training that can help a farrier gain a specialist status in the field of roadster type and other areas of shoeing. One that comes highly recommended is the Butler Professional Farrier School, in Crawford, NE. Recently, Jacob Butler CJF, AWCF shared with me his insight on this special shoe for Roadsters…

“Roadster shoes were originally used on horses that would spend many hours working on the road. The shoe has a thicker toe to prevent slower shoe wear, helping the shoe last for the desired shoeing interval. Most shoe sizes are made out of at least ½” thick by 1” wide bar stock. Typically, these shoes will also have a toe clip to help keep the shoe in place and counter the extra friction caused by the calk and wedge that extends from the heel end of the shoe—downward to the ground for traction. The calk is positioned on the outside heel and the wedge is placed on the inside. A roadster shoe is a preferred choice in forging competitions since it has several elements that need to be properly formed.”  

Working toward mastering higher-level skills, such as this, is a great example of the commitment and precision necessary to obtain a specialist status in the farrier industry. 

©2017 “Farrier-Friendly”™ Series

Bio: Bryan S. Farcus MA, CJF, is the creator of a select line of “Farrier-Friendly™” products and author of the “Farrier-Friendly™” series of articles that appear in horse magazines throughout the US. Bryan currenwww.farrierfriendly.com tly works with horses and their owners in Ohio and West Virginia. He can be reached at

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