why do horses need shoes? Is this a consequence of domestication? What about wild horses?

Question

I’ve never known any other animal apart from horses to need to be fitted with shoes. Why is this? And is this phenomenon strictly exclusive to domesticated horses? What about wild horses, then? If wild horses cope without them, why can’t domesticated horses?

In: 3395

Answer 1

Three reasons. Protection, correction, and traction. To protect their feet from hard surfaces. To correct or fix problems with their gait (how their foot and leg move when they walk). To provide traction (grip) on slippery surfaces like roads or ice.