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

Others have mentioned that domestic horses work, and therefore need help to compensate for unnatural wear. But breeding absolutely plays a part. Feral/ wild horses with poor hoof quality simply die. Domestic horses with poor hoof quality can still be allowed to breed if humans think they have other qualities that are worth breeding for, since hoof quality to some extent can be remedied by shoes.