Why dont wild horses need shoes

Wild horses dont need horseshoes unlike domestic horses. All these factors help in developing harder and stronger hooves.

Many horse owners say barefoot is best.

Why dont wild horses need shoes. Wild horses and their cousins like Przewalskis horse zebras and wild asses do not need shoes even though they often live in harsh punishing rocky environments. This is because they were formed by a natural co-evolution with their environment over hundreds of thousands of years. Actually whether domestic horses need shoes is debated.

Wild horses amble long distances daily usually over rough grassland which gradually builds up hard hooves. Domestic horses usually grow weaker hooves because of intermittent exercise often over softer damper ground and sometimes exacerbated by an unbalanced diet. Why dont wild horses need shoes.

In the wild horses can and regularly do cover vast distances often up to 50 miles 80 km a day in search of food which combined with their native habitat of dry arid climates means that their feet are trimmed as they walk. Wild horses dont need horseshoes unlike domestic horses. Domestic horses may also wear shoes to stop the weight of their human riders damaging the hooves.

It is a form of protection where the downward pressure on each step goes into that metal plate and not the surface of the hooves. Horse shoes were first used on war horses and farm horses. Most roads were made of rockstone Roman or worn down to hard earthrock.

Since the horses were forced to march on these surfaces often carrying heavy loads without having adequate fee. There are many reasons why domesticated horses may need to wear shoes. In the wild horses travel many miles each day to get food.

But although they can cover as much as 50 miles per day they typically do it at pretty low speeds. The only time a horse needs to run at higher speeds in the wild is for short durations while its outrunning a predator. Horses in the wild arent pulling carriages or plows and therefore dont need the additional protection against wear on their hooves from the extra exertion.

Additionally horseshoes on horses is actually a BAD idea if that horse is going to be running on pavement or cobblestones because of the harder impact and shock from the metal on stone. Like us horses are individuals. Determining whether your horse needs shoes or not depends on a variety of factors.

These include their age size confirmation workload action the type of terrain and surface they are expected to work on living environment and hoof care needs. Having correctly fitted shoes allows the horse to work better. Horses need horseshoes for the same purposes humans need shoes.

Horseshoes protect a horses hooves the same way shoes protect our feet. While some people may argue horses dont need shoes the same can be said about humans. Anthropological research shows we lived barefoot up to around 40000 years ago.

However depending on the type of racetrack turf certain restrictions do apply to the type of shoe that can be worn. Why do wild horses not need shoes. Wild horses are constantly on the move traveling many miles per day.

Often wild horses travel over rough terrain for long distances which naturally wears down their hooves. Additionally wild horses dont wear shoes. In the working world horses who dont wear shoes usually as a result of having a problem with their feet.

Sometimes their hooves are too brittle or they may have broken off a piece of their hoof and so the shoe could not be adequately affixed. Horses that are out on pasture dont necessarily need shoes. Many horse owners say barefoot is best.

So shoeing has its pros and cons. A horses hoof is complicated and horseshoeing is an art and science according to most farriers. Wild horses dont wear shoes so many make the argument that barefoot makes the most sense.

There are a few reasons why horses need and in some cases need not to wear shoes. Weak hooves easily cracked or damaged or mentality. Hoof health determines whether or not a horse needs shoes.

Diet and terrain play a role in the reason for horse shoes in domestic horses but not wild ones. On a farm horses do not have to forage for food and they will never go hungry. Due to domestication horses hooves grow faster often requiring trimming by a farrier every six to eight weeks.

Why do wild horses not need shoes. Wild horses like the Przewalski live in the ideal environment as they. Have access to a wide range of terrain including rough grassland and rocky grounds.

Graze continuously and travel large distances. Eat fresh grass and a naturally balanced diet. All these factors help in developing harder and stronger hooves.

Wild horses dont need horseshoes because they genetically have hard tough hooves through natural breeding. They also harden their feet naturally when traveling and they arent used for a specific purpose that would require a specialized shoe.