Traction Various amounts of traction are available depending on the techniques used by your farrier. Rim shoes provide more traction than plain shoes. Aluminum shoes have a slightly better grab on frozen ground because the metal is softer. Rubber and plastic shoes tend to provide less traction than either the bare hoof or steel shoes and are hard and slippery in cold temperatures. However, on hard ice such shoes are dangerously slippery.
Removable studs allow for adaptation to the constantly changing winter footing conditions.
A torch or forge is used to melt the carrier metal and adhere carbide grit or chips of various sizes to the shoe surface. These traction buttons are inserted into holes drilled in front of or behind the last nail hole and are either brazed or welded in place. Two buttons per shoe will provide sufficient traction for most winter conditions. Nails with ribbed or specially hardened heads can be substituted for regular horseshoe nails to allow a horse to grab onto the ground. The treated heads resist wear and their points dig into ice.