When riding on ice/snow: Shoes- the worst thing you can do. You might as well put on ice skates
Shoes with borium- not bad at helping stop sliding on ice. Must pad to help with the snowballs in the foot. I find with smaller feet which most Icelandics would have the rim pads work the very best. They also leave the foot open to breathe. One downfall, the horse is on 4 points with each shoe. They may not always be even. Also if put on the shoe wrong they can also make ice skates (I had a "farrier" do this to my horse once, it was almost a disaster before I knew what was going wrong). Shoes with studs- these are the best in ice. They do not dull with use and hold up better than borium. Also need pads for snow balls. These shoes also place the foot up on 4 points, but they should be even. Both of the two above do end up putting some pressure on the joints since they do have a grip to them when the foot lands. Barefoot-a great way to keep your horse if you do not plan on riding in ice. The hoof will develop a sharpness that helps the horse not to slip. Definitely not as secure in slippery footing as either of the two above. A number of people will use borium or studs on the front and barefoot behind. Not quite as secure as all four, but not a bad deciision if it is safe enough for you and your horse. Susan Cushing
