In olden days horses having white hoofs were considered weak & unfit. There was a maxim about the white color of hoofs of a horse “One white foot buy him”. “Two white feet, try him”. Three whit feet, look well about him”. “Four white feet, do without him”.
White footed horses were regarded with such a contempt that there was one more funny saying “four white feet & a long white nose, knock him on the head & feed him to crows”.
Luckily the modern science has proved that the white color of hoofs does not indicate any genetic weakness in a horse. It is just a lack of pigmentation in the hoof wall like the color of our skin and it has nothing to do with lameness.
There are many owners though, that will debate endlessly and passionately about hoof color. Most of those owners are firmly convinced that a horse with white hooves must be shod to maintain soundness and usability. In my time as an equine hoof care provider, I have seen many white footed horses prove that theory wrong.
Horses of different breed have different colored hoofs & the color also varies from one individual horse to another. Some species like Appaloosa & Paint horse have colored stripes on hooves. Some horses of Appaloosa breed have strong hoofs but others are known to have weak hoof walls & other hoof related problems.
In actual fact, the health of the hoof is determined by several other factors other than breed, age, sex, and job. Having a properly trained hoof care provider is essential to good hoof health, as is proper nutrition for your horse.
Allowing your horse to be outdoors as much as possible, preferably all the time as long as there is access to shelter from sun, rain, cold and wind, will promote healthy hoof growth and strength.
A horse with white hooves has a tendency to have a higher visibility of small problems, such as a bruise in the hoof wall, and small, shallow surface cracks, that create an optical illusion that the hoof is weaker, than a darker hoof. The level of pigment in a hoof wall has no bearing on the strength or quality of the hoof. Keep the horse healthy, exercised and trimmed, and you will have many happy rides together.
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