We got lucky and ran into the best shoer we've ever dealt with. He calendars everything and will call a week in advance and schedule something out with us.
We've got one gelding that we keep 4 shoes on all year long, another gelding we put fronts on from spring until winter and then he's barefoot. The two mares have mule feet so they're barefoot year round, just trims.
Each horse has different needs, and as you are around them more you'll get a figure on it. The one horse that's shoed year round has weak feet, stone bruises easy, etc. Typically you'll see (not always) horses with lighter colored feet tend to require more care. Those with dark and solid color, in my experiences, usually have better feet. There are supplements out there to help with some of that.
It wouldn't hurt, just for general awareness, to have a doc stick your horse to check for any type of deficiencies mineral wise. Some of that might lead to an indication of additional care. Not shoe related, but we have one that has a selenium issue and can tie up bad if it's not monitored. Then you can adjust your feed or supplement. Feed can have a lot to do with it depending on where you're buying hay from. Just my
