I have been using easy boots for years now and I like them a lot. this never needs shoes always needs shoes argument is in my opinion just one of those that hopefully folks will learn something from. I've lived in places that it sure wasn't common to shoe a working horse. the great plains is a good example the weather is seasonal but during each season it stays fairly even. not much rock, maybe some sandstone along the edges here and there. you work a horse hard day in and out and not notice a whole lot of wear. now if your out slogging through the mud and shit then push a herd down a blacktop road very far you'll wish you'd taken the bar ditch and let the dog take the road.
some areas it seems like it doesn't matter by the second day your horse is tip toeing around. black hooves or what ever.
in the rocks I like the boots because they offer some protection to the sole and the traction is unbelievable compared to any steel shoe I've tried. you don't have to worry about loose shoes or the damage they can do either.
I like leaving them barefoot when they aren't working and letting the hooves harden naturally along with the sole developing a good depth and hardness compared to the habit of rasping it down thin. They have borium tips you can use on the boots and for ice I might consider them.
the draw back is the initial cost of a set of boots. if you your horses all wear a different size or your using a number of them this can get high. at the end of the year though your boots saved you some money and time over a farrier. if you shoe your horses yourself you didn't save much. I've had one set last over three years. not all do but the fact that they wear only while your actually riding makes a difference. all of mine have lasted well over a year though.
if you keep the hoof about the same size and shape you don't have to worry about loosing them either.
MHO
. I keep him shod also.