A new pair of shoes may be a welcome Christmas gift, even for horses!
Horses need new shoes about every 4-6 weeks, based on how their hooves grow and how the shoes have worn. Horseshoes are designed to protect horse hooves the same way shoes protect our feet. When horses work or travel on hard paved roads, they need horseshoes.
Horseshoes are applied by professionals called farriers. They trim and shape hooves and fit horses for shoes. Horseshoes can be made of iron, plastic or aluminum. The type of shoe depends on the type of job a horse is doing.
Horses naturally spend 80% of their lives standing up, so they need new shoes often.
Horses contribute greatly to the state’s agricultural economy through ownership, tourism, recreation and horse racing. There are 150,000 horses in Illinois.
Source: Illinois Ag Mag, a publication of Illinois Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom