# Do horses have to be shod for show?



## rangergirl56m (Jan 15, 2009)

I was actually wondering about the same thing. I'm just not going to worry about it. If my horse can do it without shoes i would prefer to keep him barefoot. I don't know that there is any sort of "requirement" I just think people do it for traction.


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I do not know of any type of showing that has a requirement of shoes if your horse can be sound and get the traction required to compete with out them.


----------



## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Check with the organization that you are going to be showing with. Why would it cost so much to have one horse shod? I think most farriers around here anyway charge $60-75 to put on shoes and $35 to trim. I hope you are getting your horses feet trimmed on a regular basis so the cost to shoe would only be $25-40 more every two months or so.


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> Why would it cost so much to have one horse shod?


I also wonder.

I would guess that the difference between a trim and front shoes would be less than the entry fees you will pay for most horse shows, even small shows. 

My farrier is $90 for fronts only, a trim alone is $35. Getting to a horse show costs me more than $55.


----------



## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Oh how lucky you guys are.

My horse costs £80/$110 every 7 weeks for shoes.
She needs shoes and studs to cope with walking on tarmacced lanes.

The shoes need changing every 7 weeks because the hoof grows.

If we lived in an area where the horse went for the most time on soft ground, then maybe I could get away with not shoeing her - but once she is shod then it is a large bill every 7 weeks. 

Almost all of Britain's regularly ridden horses are shod. Mostly ponies escape but not always.

I'm thinking of re-locating again.


B G


----------



## JadedEyes (Jun 26, 2009)

In the winter, I can get away with shoeing every 6-7 weeks. In the summer, I am lucky to get 4 weeks out of them. 

I only shoe the front and get the backs trimmed. It costs about 70, sometimes 65, depending upon if he has any chips or special circumstances.


----------



## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Barry Godden said:


> Oh how lucky you guys are.
> 
> My horse costs £80/$110 every 7 weeks for shoes.
> She needs shoes and studs to cope with walking on tarmacced lanes.
> ...


Contrary to what you read on this forum the majority of U.S. horses are shod also. The cost to shoe if you board at a barn and have a cerified farrier do it is probably $110-120 every 6-8 weeks but if you shop around and your horse has no special needs then you can find good horseshoers that will do it cheaper.


----------



## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I see a bunch of barefoot horses at lower level events around here. No worries. If you don't want him shod, don't get him shod! My horse is fine barefoot, but when I get her into competition condition, she will be shod because we need stud holes


----------



## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

I have my horse barefoot mostly but I do rein to so I need sliders. I have never heard of it as a rule though.


----------



## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

Not that I know of. My horse is barefoot and he does dressage shows. It would be wise to double check with the organization that is holding the show, but I highly doubt that you need shoes.

In response to the off topic discussion on here about prices: I get my horse trimmed every 6-8 weeks for $50. If I wanted him shod, it would be $150. Barry, there are expensive prices over here too. It isn't country related, it just depends on what kind of place you are living in (ie farmland usually has cheaper prices while urban areas have expensive prices).


----------



## spence (Nov 8, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> Contrary to what you read on this forum the majority of U.S. horses are shod also. The cost to shoe if you board at a barn and have a cerified farrier do it is probably $110-120 every 6-8 weeks but if you shop around and your horse has no special needs then you can find good horseshoers that will do it cheaper.


ok, how are you getting that most horses in the U.S. are shod? almost EVERYONE i know tries to avoid shoes if at all possible. i'm not real happy about needing to put shoes on our horses, but i fear to say that mine may need a round of them.

rangergirl is from NY, and up there $35-50 is the norm for a trim. here in kansas $20-35 is the norm. and i consider 35 to be a bit high. from the guys i get numbers from, around $25 for a trim, and another $25 for each 2 shoes. trim and front shoes last fall were $50. 

anyhow, a lot of the show horses seem to be shod, but i don't think it would be a requirement. anyhow, like it's been said check with the folks putting on the show.


----------



## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

spence said:


> ok, how are you getting that most horses in the U.S. are shod? almost EVERYONE i know tries to avoid shoes if at all possible.


While I am sure that "almost EVERYONE" you know makes up a huge cross-section of the horseowners in this country, I travel to at least one large horse event a week and rarely see an unshod horse. Sometimes it's the same kind of event so alot of the horses are the same but I look at many many horses during the course of a year and most of the horses being ridden regularly are shod and at least half of the ones that aren't shod should be.


----------



## snoggle (Jun 13, 2009)

roro said:


> In response to the off topic discussion on here about prices: I get my horse trimmed every 6-8 weeks for $50. If I wanted him shod, it would be $150. Barry, there are expensive prices over here too. It isn't country related, it just depends on what kind of place you are living in (ie farmland usually has cheaper prices while urban areas have expensive prices).


You guys are making me soooo happy that I live in rural Kentucky. We used to pay $35 to have fronts and backs trimmed and shod every six weeks. We've switched to a more experienced and reliable farrier and I think we're paying him $45 for the same thing. I wasn't home the last time they were shod, but I think that's how much hubby paid. We do supply the shoes and we buy them by the case.

Everyone here in the mountains shoes fronts and backs. I was interested in the barefoot thing (my friends in Ohio leave all of their horses barefoot), but everyone insisted that you have to shoe them around here because of the terrain. I decided not to push the idea any further when I figured out that none of the farriers here are familiar with barefoot trimming anyway.


----------



## ponyybearr (Jan 28, 2010)

I ride english and show at locals and 'A' show. No, shoes are not required for showing. Many horses do have shoes, but about half of the ponies and some horses don't. If your horse doesn't need them, they don't need to wear them for shows.


----------



## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> Check with the organization that you are going to be showing with. Why would it cost so much to have one horse shod? I think most farriers around here anyway charge $60-75 to put on shoes and $35 to trim. I hope you are getting your horses feet trimmed on a regular basis so the cost to shoe would only be $25-40 more every two months or so.


He's a draft horse. My farrier gave me an estimate of about $150 for shoes and a trim. It's $50 just to have him trimmed every 6 weeks. 

My guys have their feet done pretty religiously and I take good care of them.  Several vets and farriers have told me that my draft has phenomenal hoof quality. I just don't see any reason to shoe him.


----------



## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

snoggle said:


> You guys are making me soooo happy that I live in rural Kentucky. We used to pay $35 to have fronts and backs trimmed and shod every six weeks. We've switched to a more experienced and reliable farrier and I think we're paying him $45 for the same thing. I wasn't home the last time they were shod, but I think that's how much hubby paid. We do supply the shoes and we buy them by the case.
> 
> Everyone here in the mountains shoes fronts and backs. I was interested in the barefoot thing (my friends in Ohio leave all of their horses barefoot), but everyone insisted that you have to shoe them around here because of the terrain. I decided not to push the idea any further when I figured out that none of the farriers here are familiar with barefoot trimming anyway.


That makes me kinda glad I don't live in the mountains.
Here in Illinois, the roughest thing our horses ever walk on is gravel, and usually just to get across the driveway. Otherwise it's either grass or sand. And corn fields. And hills. So exciting. Even my Thoroughbred does well barefoot.


----------



## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

Happy I live in MO! The terrain is usually pretty nice around here, a little rocky and hard, but my horse has tough little feet so I don't bother with shoes, I just keep him trimmed and he can walk across anything I throw at him. When we used to shoe our horses it was $45 for four feet trimmed and shod...
No shoeing is not necessary for showing (depending on what you are doing)... you might want to check it out though just to be sure.


----------



## Sghorselover (Oct 19, 2009)

I think you dont have to! My trainers horses do much better barefoot and they are fine!


----------



## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

Like other have said you should check with the rule book or organization... Both of mine have front shoes and that is he norm for around here. I don't know anyone who shows and doesn't have at least front shoes ... Actually I only know one person who's horses are bare foot. Most people who actually show seriously and competativly have shoes on -not to say you have to so please no one jump on me for that statement... Just my experience in the last 18 years of riding ....


----------

