Sizes and Shapes

Diverse Shapes and Sizes of Horseshoes: Finding the Perfect Fit for Your Horse

For functional hoof protection, precise fit is a crucial criterion. On this page, you will find all the information regarding the correct shape and size for your horse's hooves. Our horseshoes are sold individually, allowing you complete flexibility in the composition of your order.

Choosing the Right Shape

Duplo Horseshoes are not only available in numerous sizes but also in different shapes.

Take a look at the sole as a whole and decide whether it is rather round or oval. The oval models are rather made for hind hooves, the round, sts and open-toed shoes generally fit the front hooves. As always: The exception prooves the rule.

What Makes the STS Shape Special?

Horseshoes with a slightly straightened toe area, our so-called Straight Toe Shoe (STS), enable you to place the horseshoe further backwards and thus to facilitate breakover. The decision to use an STS shoe is based not only on the shape of the hoof, but also on the horse's individual gait mechanics.

According to this, if you choose a model with quarter clips, those are positioned further backwards compared to our regular round shaped horseshoes.

side view of a plastic shoe with quarter clips and a straight toe area

Choosing the Right Shoe Size

The size of our composite or pure urethane horseshoes is always measured at its widest point. The smallest horseshoe is currently 50mm wide, the largest one is 198mm. The interval between sizes is 4mm (8mm from size 182mm on) - you will therefore find models of 110mm and 114mm but nothing in-between. If your horse needs an in-between size, you can easily adjust a slightly too large horseshoe with an angle grinder.

In order to determine the correct size for your horse, it should be unshoed. The hoof should be correctly trimmed so that a new horseshoe could be applied. If you measure an untrimmed or shoed hoof, you might not get the desirable exact results.

Use a measuring tape or a ruler to measure the widest point of the hoof's bottom surface which usually is to be found at a short distance behind the frog apex.

With these two results - the hoof width in millimeters and the hoof shape - you can choose your favorite model in your horse's size. For further information on the perfect fit of the horseshoe please have a look at FAQ → Instructions.

Our templates

With our free templates, choosing a correctly sized horseshoe gets even easier.

There's one template for round horseshoes, one template for oval horseshoes and one template for STS horseshoes available. Every template consists of two pages in an A4 format that you can print and glue together. You can use the template in various ways:

  • You place the hoof on an empty sheet of paper and trace the hoof shape. Then you cut the shape out and place it on the printed template.
  • You can place the printed template directly on the hoof (or place hoof on the template) and trace the hoof shape.
  • You can glue the printed template on a cardboard to make it more solid, and then trace the hoof shape.
  • You can print the template more than once and cut out the sizes that probably come into consideration. Then, you place the cut-out shapes directly on the hoof. This is the most time-consuming option, but probably also the most reliable one.

Please note: The templates fit our models with quarter clips. The shape of the un-clipped horseshoes varies minimally; however, you can also use the templates for these horseshoes.

Please use the small scale on the templates in order to check your printer settings.

Approximate Dimensions of our Urethane Horseshoes

In case you need additional details about the length of the horseshoe, we have measured our horseshoes for you.

three different shapes of urethane horseshoes – round, oval and straight toe shape
Un-Clipped Horseshoes Clipped Horseshoes Straight Toe Shoes
Width Length (round shape) Length (oval shape) Length (round shape) Length (oval shape) Length
98mm / 3.86 inch - 111mm / 4.37 inch - 111mm / 4.37 inch -
102mm / 4.02 inch 110mm / 4.33 inch 116mm / 4.57 inch 112mm / 4.41 inch 117mm / 4.61 inch 104mm / 4.09 inch
106mm / 4.17 inch 115mm / 4.53 inch 121mm / 4.76 inch 117mm / 4.61 inch 122mm / 4.80 inch 109mm / 4.29 inch
110mm / 4.33 inch 120mm / 4.72 inch 122mm / 4.80 inch 120mm / 4.72 inch 125mm / 4.92 inch 111mm / 4.37 inch
114mm / 4.49 inch 120mm / 4.72 inch 126mm / 4.96 inch 125mm / 4.92 inch 130mm / 5.11 inch 117mm / 4.61 inch
118mm / 4.65 inch 128mm / 5.04 inch 134mm / 5.28 inch 128mm / 5.04 inch 135mm / 5.31 inch 120mm / 4.72 inch
122mm / 4.80 inch 132mm / 5.20 inch 139mm / 5.47 inch 132mm / 5.20 inch 140mm / 5.51 inch 125mm / 4.92 inch
126mm / 4.96 inch 137mm / 5.39 inch 144mm / 5.67 inch 137mm / 5.39 inch 143mm / 5.63 inch 129mm / 5.08 inch
130mm / 5.12 inch 141mm / 5.55 inch 148mm / 5.83 inch 141mm / 5.55 inch 147mm / 5.79 inch 133mm / 5.24 inch
134mm / 5.28 inch 145mm / 5.71 inch 153mm / 6.02 inch 145mm / 5.71 inch 152mm / 5.98 inch 138mm / 5.43 inch
138mm / 5.43 inch 150mm / 5.91 inch 157mm / 6.18 inch 150mm / 5.91 inch 156mm / 6.14 inch 141mm / 5.55 inch
142mm / 5.59 inch 155mm / 6.10 inch 160mm / 6.30 inch 154mm / 6.06 inch 162mm / 6.38 inch 145mm / 5.71 inch
146mm / 5.75 inch 158mm / 6.22 inch 162mm / 6.38 inch 160mm / 6.30 inch 166mm / 6.54 inch 150mm / 5.91 inch
150mm / 5.91 inch 155mm / 6.10 inch 165mm / 6.50 inch 163mm / 6.42 inch 171mm / 6.73 inch 154mm / 6.06 inch
154mm / 6.06 inch 160mm / 6.30 inch 170mm / 6.69 inch 167mm / 6.58 inch 176mm / 6.93 inch 159mm / 6.26 inch
158mm / 6.22 inch 164mm / 6.46 inch 180mm / 7.09 inch 173mm / 6.81 inch 180mm / 7.09 inch -
162mm / 6.38 inch - - 178mm / 7.01 inch 185mm / 7.28 inch -
166mm / 6.54 inch - - 182mm / 7.17 inch 190mm / 7.48 inch -
170mm / 6.69 inch - - 185mm / 7.28 inch (regulär)
186mm / 7.32 inch (HDS)
193mm / 7.60 inch (HDS) -
174mm / 6.85 inch - - 190mm / 7.48 inch 200mm / 7.87 inch -
178mm / 7.01 inch - - 195mm / 7.68 inch 205mm / 8.07 inch -
182mm / 7.17 inch - - 199mm / 7.83 inch 207mm / 8.15 inch -
190mm / 7.48 inch - - 207mm / 8.15 inch 216mm / 8.50 inch -
198mm / 7.80 inch - - 216mm / 8.50 inch 226mm / 8.90 inch -

Pony Horseshoes

In case you need additional details about the length and height of the pony horseshoe, we have measured our horseshoes for you.
Please note that we offer special un-clipped urethane horseshoes for ponies in our product range.

Plastic pony horseshoes
Width Length (round shape) Height (round shape) Length (oval shape) Height (oval shape)
50mm / 1.97 inch 55mm / 2.16 inch 11mm / 0.43 inch 56mm / 2.20 inch 11mm / 0.43 inch
54mm / 2.13 inch 59mm / 2.32 inch 11mm / 0.43 inch 61mm / 2.40 inch 11mm / 0.43 inch
58mm / 2.28 inch 64mm / 2.52 inch 11mm / 0.43 inch 66mm / 2.60 inch 11mm / 0.43 inch
62mm / 2.44 inch 68mm / 2.68 inch 11mm / 0.43 inch 70mm / 2.76 inch 11mm / 0.43 inch
66mm / 2.60 inch 72mm / 2.84 inch 12mm / 0.47 inch 75mm / 2.95 inch 12mm / 0.47 inch
70mm / 2.76 inch 76mm / 2.99 inch 12mm / 0.47 inch 80mm / 3.15 inch 12mm / 0.47 inch
74mm / 2.91 inch 81mm / 3.19 inch 12mm / 0.47 inch 84mm / 3.31 inch 12mm / 0.47 inch
78mm / 3.07 inch 85mm / 3.35 inch 12mm / 0.47 inch 88mm / 3.47 inch 12mm / 0.47 inch
82mm / 3.23 inch 89mm / 3.50 inch 13mm / 0.51 inch 94mm / 3.70 inch 13mm / 0.51 inch
86mm / 5.28 inch 93mm / 5.71 inch 13mm / 0.51 inch 98mm / 5.71 inch 13mm / 0.51 inch
90mm / 3.54 inch 97mm / 3.82 inch 13mm / 0.51 inch 102mm / 4.01 inch 13mm / 0.51 inch
94mm / 3.70 inch 102mm / 4.01 inch 14mm / 0.55 inch 107mm / 4.21 inch 13mm / 0.51 inch
98mm / 3.86 inch 107mm / 4.21 inch 14mm / 0.55 inch - -

Open-Toed Horseshoes

In case you need additional details about the length of the Open-Toed Horseshoe, we have measured our horseshoes for you.
Please note that the open-toed horseshoe is only available in a round shape.

Open-Toed Horseshoe for Laminitis
Width Length 1 Length 2
110mm / 4.33 inch 88mm / 3.47 inch 110mm / 4.33 inch
114mm / 4.49 inch 91mm / 3.58 inch 114mm / 4.49 inch
118mm / 4.65 inch 95mm / 3.74 inch 118mm / 4.65 inch
122mm / 4.80 inch 98mm / 3.86 inch 122mm / 4.80 inch
126mm / 4.96 inch 101mm / 3.98 inch 126mm / 4.96 inch
130mm / 5.12 inch 104mm / 4.09 inch 130mm / 5.12 inch
134mm / 5.28 inch 107mm / 4.21 inch 134mm / 5.28 inch
138mm / 5.43 inch 111mm / 4.37 inch 138mm / 5.43 inch
142mm / 5.59 inch 113mm / 4.45 inch 142mm / 5.59 inch
146mm / 5.75 inch 117mm / 4.61 inch 146mm / 5.75 inch
150mm / 5.91 inch 120mm / 4.72 inch 150mm / 5.91 inch
154mm / 6.06 inch 124mm / 4.88 inch 154mm / 6.06 inch
158mm / 6.22 inch 127mm / 5.00 inch 157mm / 6.18 inch
162mm / 6.38 inch 130mm / 5.11 inch 161mm / 6.34 inch
166mm / 6.54 inch 133mm / 5.24 inch 164mm / 6.46 inch
170mm / 6.69 inch 136mm / 5.35 inch 168mm / 6.61 inch

What doesn't fit, will be made to fit!

Of course, it happens from time to time that a hoof is unique and no horseshoe seems to fit perfectly. For such cases, there are various options available. Under the section FAQ → Instructions, you will find additional information on adapting and modifying our horseshoes.

Subject to changes and errors.
Latest Update: 12.03.2024