White feet and hoof strength

Are white hooves weaker than black?

  • Total voters
    0
Wagtail

Wagtail

Horse servant
Joined
2 December 2010
Messages
14,815
Location
Lincs
Visit site
I was alwaysled to believe hat white feet were weaker tha black ones, though lately I have been told by more up to date farriers and foot trimmers that this is not the case. So, what are your views?
 
I also use to think this. However took my old boys shoes off when he retired and they hardened up very quickly they havnt broken/cracked ever. He doesnt go on roads though. I am now riding a barefoot TB who has 3 white feet and they are rock solid...i tried to break the trimmed off bit and couldnt!! So i am now not convinced!
 
Dunno, my lad has white hooves and has never lost a shoe and has fab feet, whereas my mate's horse also has white feet, is forever losing shoes and has crap feet. I think it varies from horse to horse as opposed to one rule for all white hooves. Both are cobs if that makes a difference.
 
we have horses with white hooves, stiped hooves & dark hooves. Absolutely no difference, it depends on the horse.
 
Well the two white footed ones that I've owned in the last decade have had poor feet, whereas the black hooved brigade have had good feet - maybe it's a coincidence. However I also knew one who had three white hooves and one dark. The dark hoof was considerably better quality hoof than the others.
 
I dont think colour matters more so the horse. My tb had black feet and they were poor, my mare has white/ striped feet and there much stronger.
 
Oh, I was told this last week, also told it would be a mark down in showing as the white/striped hooves were not as strong as the black, my cob has never been shod and has striped hooves, farrier says he has very good feet :-) I love his stripey hooves:)
 
With my experience it makes no difference.
My old horse had white hooves and he had brill feet. My current horse has both black and white feet and they aren't the best.

I'd say it all depends on the horse.
 
Thanks everyone! I am pleased to see that the opinion is swaying towards white feet not being weaker. It helps a lot to settle an argument at my yard! :D
 
If the two are different in pigment alone (there's probably some info on the full horse genome out there that's found it), then it doesn't make sense that one would be structurally any different/weaker than the other.
 
I know a horse that works unshod that has three black and one white front foot, I haven't seen him go wonky yet, so I assume they wear at the same rate! :D
 
I've been involved into a study comparing black and white hooves. Without getting too scientific on you - there is some proof that black hooves are indeed stronger than white hooves although the most important factors affecting this are diet, care and terrain.
 
I asked my farrier this question & it's not that white feet are weeker it's that they show up bruises & marks which you can't see on black hooves even though the same marks are there..
 
My horse has 3 white feet and 1 black foot, black ones heel collapsed, it got a white line infection and fell apart and its the foot that he has been lame on before! White ones are all fine and in good condition according to the farrier so no I dont think white one are weaker!
 
Toby has three white legs and feet. They've not worn off any faster than his black foot;)

Pips has stripy feet and the white horse doesn't wear off any faster either, so no crenelation there either.
 
I have a lot of horses and the vast majority of feet are white. All of them are barefoot and almost all of them have been barefoot all of their lives. Not one hoof has a crack or weakness. My former farrier always used to rave about how good they were and threatened to bring all of his clients who believed that fallacy to see the evidence for themselves.
 
There are loads of versions of these old sayings;
One white foot, buy a horse; two white feet, try a horse; three white feet, look well about him; four white feet, do without him
Or another way to put it...
Four white socks keep him not a day, three white socks send him far away, two white socks give him to a friend, one white sock keep him to his end.

Paul Schockemohle obviously hadn't heard these sayings when he paid the big bucks for Totilas!! :p
Personally, I would love a horse with four white socks - I think they look gorgeous, especially nice long ones! My farrier is one of the best - he's an FWCF and he laughed and said those sayings are a load of **** :D
 
You're right about white hooves showing up damage though, my farrier mentioned that my horse had a stone bruise that had grown out (darker area showed through as he trimmed) and they never look quite as tidy as black hooves.
 
My mare has two black and two white, the white always seem to be stronger, the black seem to be chipped alot. Although, the black are at the front, so could have more to do with it.
 
I've never had a problem with white hooves and I hunt and xc barefoot as well as send my horses out on loooong trail rides over flinty grounds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top