I've heard people say that you can ride the Big South Fork without shoes on your horses. That only works if you stick to relatively flat, mostly sandy trails, or if your horses' feet are tough as nails. This is rocky terrain, no doubt about it. On some of the steeper trails, there are outcroppings of sandstone that horses have to navigate and the last thing you want is to be on a horse whose feet slip out from under him! Most people who live here and ride these trails regularly have their farrier weld Borium caulks or Drill Tek to the shoe or they use screw-in studs, which are removable, to provide the traction that the horse needs in rugged terrain. 

Also, trails are maintained beautifully by the National Park Service and by local trail associations and volunteers. In areas that are heavily used and that become eroded, gravel or other materials will be brought in to provide ballast. Here's a picture of the trail between Spruce Creek and the Cumberland Trailhead after a recent trail "work day." An unshod horse could become "ouch-y" very quickly! In fact, most serious trail riders carry a temporary boot on their saddle in case their horse loses a shoe so they can protect the unshod foot and continue having an enjoyable ride.

For information about horse properties in the Big South Fork Tennessee area, go to www.trailridersrealestate.com