Does a horse working on a hard surface need shoes?

Once a horse has been shod, it needs to keep being shod.

If your horses hooves are in good condition and regularly trimmed then they should be able to withstand moderate work on a hard surface. The harder and faster the work the faster the hoof will wear down to the "white line", and cause soreness, but the faster the hoof will grow to compensate.

Walking on concrete should be fine for 2-3 miles. Trotting is not recommended for very long.

Some horses have harder hoofs than others so you need to take that into consideration.

If you intend to ride regularly and for some distance on hard roads then having the horse shod may be for the best.

Or have you tried those "Easy boots" that clip onto the horses hoof ?

They are great for occasional riding on hard sufaces and stay on well at the trot and canter on softer surfaces as well.

I would use padded boots. Shoes are not in my vocabulary, but that's just me. Concrete or asphalt is actually great for developing a hoof. Walking only, though. When I am transitioning a horse to the barefoot trim, that's exactly what I do. Promenade Walks, they're called. 20min./day. I have a mile long driveway of asphalt. If the hoof is on top of its trim, then there will be no chipping and splitting. The chipping is the starting symptom and the splitting/cracks come after, if nothing is done about it. This is how I work a trim to get the mechanism back, dry out and toughen up the hoof. I have helped others with only a concrete aisle in their barn to work with. People that ride in sand congesting arenas, can do the same on concrete to help the hoof. If you only have a certain distance to cross the concrete before getting to a better trail, that would be good, but if the whole ride is concrete, I'd only do it at a walk, for 20 minutes (warm up) then find a better place to ride faster. lts the varied, uneven, stone filled ground that really challenges the hoof. Riding on the concrete will give you the toughness to survive the other surfaces. If the wall has grown longer than the sole, then the horse will self-trim on purpose. It is how he survives. Its supposed to happen, just not as pretty as when done with a rasp, but I always find that the depth of the chipping is exactly where the hoof wants to be, every time. Horse have really smart feet! Use it or lose it.

If your horse has tough feet, and you're only planning on walking, and it's for less than an hour or so, I think you'd be fine. If you plan on trotting at all, or if your horse does the Jiggy Wiggies on trail, you might want shoes. However, shoes on concrete can be slippery. This is really a question for your farrier. Some breeds like Appys and Mustangs are usually tough footed. Other breeds, show bred Paints and TBs are known for having softie feet.

Ask your farrier what's best for your horse.

The horse doesn't have to have shoes. There's many mixed ideas about this topic in horses so I've come to the conclusion that shoes should be put on when cantering, and only for long work. But you have to remember; metal shoes will slip in concrete. I've seen it with carriage horses, sometimes they slip from not having good grip. Your horses hooves may crack if you trot for 1 mile on concrete, but walking shouldn't do any harm. And you can also buy boots and a certain hoof polish and it'll help keep the horses hoof strong.

You should avoid working your horse on hard surfaces, regardless of shoes/barefoot as it is quite jarring to their legs and joints. I would avoid riding on the concrete road all together.

If you're going to do it anyway, probably avoid the shoes as the shoes will be slippery on concrete. I'd also stick to walking. Keep a good eye on the condition of the horse's feet and make sure you clean them out before you ride. Every horse has different feet, some hold up better than others to hard surfaces.

Depends on the horse and how often and far you need to ride on pavement.

Most casually trail ridden horses can get along with front shod only. You will round the toes some shoeless.

If you want to go the shoe less way...Old Macs are the boots you want. They stay on.

Yes, the horse needs shoes. The hoof is like thick toenails and could split without shoes.