The proverb has been around for a long time, and it is a fact that races have been lost for the want of a shoe. Horses lose shoes in races from time to time. That will always be a part of horse racing. However, racing, qualifying, or even training with a shoe that needed repair to begin with can easily be avoided. A paddock blacksmith is normally available for racing, but sometimes a farrier isn't around when needed. Racing at fairs, training at farms or other off-track facilities are some examples of places that might not have a farrier available when needed.

While it is true that increased weight exaggerates motion, the cost of that added motion is fatigue. Fatigue is due to the increased energy required to put that weight into motion. Horses with heavier shoeing packages work harder than those shod light; it is as simple as that. There is no better support to this point than the fact that so many trainers elect to race barefooted in big races, especially in second-heat races. A few special horses gait better with added weight and overcome the fatigue factor to win. Donato Hanover was a great example of this.

A broken P3 (the third phalanx, or coffin bone) can sideline a racehorse for several months. It can be career-ending or just a temporary setback depending on the position and severity of the break. Small fractures on the side of the bone are said to be wing fractures because they are located on the wings of the P3 bone. (picture1) They can actually separate the wing tip from the rest of the P3, or just compromise the structure with a hairline fracture in that area.

In the summer of 2011, trainer Bob Stewart picked up a horse named Swan In A Million. The colt trotter had a mushroom shoe on at the time to alleviate some of the heel pain that he was showing in both front feet.

When a racehorse is going well, often that horse is racing well enough to ignore what appear to be minor problems. If a horse's performance is on par, often no changes are made to the shoeing in an attempt to maintain that current level of performance.

Farriers and vets rely heavily on hoof testers to decide if the hoof is sore or not.

Much of the summer and fall, horses are racing on different tracks from one race to the next. Racetrack surfaces can vary greatly, requiring shoe changes. Sometimes two tracks that you think should be alike will fool you. For example, two limestone one-mile tracks are not necessarily going to be equal. Experienced trainers have raced all over North America and have learned the tendencies of each track. This knowledge is invaluable when shipping a horse to a certain track for the first time in order to compete in a big race.

Extreme weather like we have been seeing this summer can affect the horse's hooves mightily. Obviously, the most affected horses are those who are out in it more.