I just saw a post where a horse was abandoned for a number of years and it’s front hooves looked like the bottom of a rocking chair. I’ve also heard over the years about how farriers are necessary to a horses health. Now obviously horses have been around longer than the folks who take care of their hooves, so what did they do before people?
Did they have to scrape them on rocks or did they just have to wear them down by running? Just curious. Thanks!
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They would wear down just by running. The natural environment for a horse is grasslands, so the hoof (which is just a big toenail) would naturally wear down over time, keeping growth in check.
We had to start shoeing them because we started to put them to work in places much tougher on the hooves than grasslands. Walking down a cobblestone street would wear the hoof down far too fast, injuring the horse. The shoe prevents that damage, allowing the horse to work where we need it too work. Problem is that now the hoof doesn’t wear down at all, thus requiring the services of a farrier to shave the hoof when the horse is reshod.
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