why do we put horseshoes on horses when they function perfectly well in the wild without them?
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Horseshoes are designed to protect horses’ hooves, the same way shoes protect our feet. As horses became domesticated, horseshoes were popularized as a way to protect the horse’s hooves in inhospitable environments. Many breeds of horses were not bred with hoof strength in mind, leading to weaker hooves in some breeds.
If the horses primarily stay on grass, they don’t need to have shoes. But shoes protect the horses feet on harder surfaces. I worked at a ranch that had “hill horses” who ONLY stayed on grass and they didn’t have shoes. However, the horses we used for trail riding/jumping HAD to have shoes to protect the sensitive areas of their hooves.
Horses in the wild mostly run on grass and dirt and their hooves wear down about as fast as they grow. On harder surfaces, like our roads, their hooves wear down faster than they regrow, so we had to put horseshoes on them to stop that excessive wear.
why do we put horseshoes on horses when they function perfectly well in the wild without them?
In: 0
Horseshoes are designed to protect horses’ hooves, the same way shoes protect our feet. As horses became domesticated, horseshoes were popularized as a way to protect the horse’s hooves in inhospitable environments. Many breeds of horses were not bred with hoof strength in mind, leading to weaker hooves in some breeds.
If the horses primarily stay on grass, they don’t need to have shoes. But shoes protect the horses feet on harder surfaces. I worked at a ranch that had “hill horses” who ONLY stayed on grass and they didn’t have shoes. However, the horses we used for trail riding/jumping HAD to have shoes to protect the sensitive areas of their hooves.
Horses in the wild mostly run on grass and dirt and their hooves wear down about as fast as they grow. On harder surfaces, like our roads, their hooves wear down faster than they regrow, so we had to put horseshoes on them to stop that excessive wear.
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