WHICH HORSES HOOVES (BLACK OR WHITE) ARE BEST   QUESTION:  First, how come my horse has two black hooves, one striped hoof and one white hoof?  Also which hoof type is better, black hooves or white hooves?   ANSWER:  (1)  Your horse has one white hoof because he was born with white hair above the hoof( skin pigmentation).  Thus a white coronet band and often the white travels further up making a sock or stocking, etc.   If the hoof is striped (partially black and partially white) then the white is not solid white all the way around the coronet band at birth.  Thus some breeds such as Appaloosa's may have striped hooves because their coat color at birth is so shaded that the skin pigmentation is not apparent.  People who own such colors as Grey horses who with age appear almost white in color can have different colored hooves (usally have black hooves) but if not because such white markings were not evident or noted at birth.   Black hooves may not chip or break off as easy as white hooves when traveling on rough, rocky ground, etc.  So it is believed that they may not always need to be shod, while most light colour hooves tend to need shoes to prevent breakage/chipping/tender soles leading to lameness on rocky or rough/hard ground.   Black hooves tend to hold the shoe on better also.  Meaning the horse shoe nails don't seem to pull through the hoof wall as easily. Black hooves thus are judged to be harder (not as soft).   All types of hooves, black or white or striped will crack/split though from being on continually too dry of ground for to long.  And Continually wet ground conditions make any hoof, black or white or striped to soft, leading to the same hoof problems.