These horses are extremely sure footed. Even though the feet of these horses are shaped by the environment they live and work in, they still need an occasional trim. Relaxing after a day on the trails is a Belgian draft gelding with his friend and new herd member an 18 month Quarterhorse colt. Walking down a steep trail to drink from a stream, the horses at Smokey Mtn. have an ideal environment to meet the requirement of daily exposure of the feet to water. The horses of Smokey Mtn.
Stables live and work every day on hard ground and rocky trails.
Their feet have become conditioned to the environment upon which they are asked to carry riders. For most horses and horse owners, this is not possible due to commitments of jobs and family. She weighs about 1200lbs and stands 15.1 or 15.2. She was shod when she was about 4 but only sporadically, most of the time she's been barefoot. The last time she had a set of shoes on was in March of 99.