Howo Often Should Your Horse Be Re-Shod?

Six weeks is a general guideline for good hoof health. This is also about the time that a barefoot horse will have to be trimmed. Some horses may need to be reset sooner, and some can go a little longer. Don’t leave shoes on for months, though. That can damage the hoof, and overgrown hooves can lead to soft tissue damage like strained tendons and ligaments.1

The Re-shoeing Process

When the shoes are reset, the farrier will pull the shoes off, trim the hoof growth off, shape the hoof, and nail the same shoes back on. Because there is no natural wear on the hoof—as there would be if your horse was barefoot—the hooves may seem to grow a bit faster. Your farrier may have to reshape the shoes, especially if a problem needs to be corrected. 

Shoes can be reset as long as there is no excessive wear to the metal. This will depend largely on the type of terrain you have been riding on. For instance, shoes may only last through one or two resets if you typically ride over an abrasive surface like rocks but may last months if your horse walks mainly on grass.

Once the shoes start to thin, a new set will have to be put on. The initial shoeing will cost more than a reset.