This does not mean that hooves don't need attention. The ground surface of the foot as well as the hoof wall should be painted. A little extra care and regular attention during the winter when your horse is unshod will result in a stronger, healthier foot the rest of the year. The conformation, quality of the hoof and terrain dictate whether all four shoes or just the hind ones are pulled. If your horse needs to remain shod because it is ridden all winter and turned out daily, you may want to add pads under the shoes when the ground freezes.
Pads help prevent sole bruises from the uneven, frozen ground.
In areas that get snow and icy weather, additional precautions should be taken. Added traction can be achieved by using a hard surfacing material such as borium, or studs can be placed in the toe and heel of the shoe. When borium is used, it should be applied to the horseshoe as small in-line caulks in the heel, not large projections. Large mounds of borium on the bottom of the shoe can place unnecessary strain on the horse's joints in the limb above the foot. In the toe area, the borium is melted across the entire toe of the shoe so that the tungsten particles are exposed, again avoiding large projections on the shoe.