Horses can walk on roads barefoot, and most tolerate short trips over the pavement with no issues. Horses accustomed to barefoot riding tolerate pavement relatively well, but horses with tender feet or weak hoofs require shoes or hoof boots when riding on roads. How long can a horse go without Read more…
Standing on concrete or pavement for extended periods of time can cause foot, leg, and back problems in horses. Standing all day on a hard surface harms their feet and strains their muscles, just like it does for us. Does it hurt if a horse steps on you? Being Stepped Read more…
The earliest horses were tiny woodland creatures, the size of a housecat or small dog. They had a springy back and (usually) four toes in the front and three toes in the back. Over millions of years, as the horse grew in power and strength, those toes slowly disappeared. What Read more…
In the gait known as the gallop, all four feet leave the ground-but not when the legs are outstretched, as you might expect. In reality, the horse is airborne when its hind legs swing near the front legs, as shown in Muybridge’s photos. Do horses hooves touch the ground? In Read more…
Second only to a helmet, your footwear is an important gear category for horse riding. While you do not need riding boots specifically, it is important that your footwear has at least a 1-inch (2.5 cm) riding boots, a closed and protected toe as well as a sole with some Read more…
These days, dead and unwanted horses aren’t sent to the glue factory as often they are sent across the border, slaughtered, and harvested for their valuable meat. Do they use dead horses for glue? According to the company, no horse or any other animal is (currently) harmed in the making Read more…
For most pleasure horses, shoes probably aren’t necessary, and sensible maintenance, including regular trimming, may be all that is needed. You need to pay attention to the wear of the hoof and the comfort of your horse as you ride over all sorts of footing. Do horses have to wear Read more…
While it is not technically HARMFUL to trim whiskers, doing so does reduce the animal’s ability to use these specialized tools as nature intended. Basically, whiskers are tactile or touch sensors that help animals tell where they are, where danger is, and where food and water are. Why do people Read more…
the Romans. The earliest forms of horseshoes can be found as early as 400 BC. Materials used ranged from plants, rawhide and leather strap gears referred to as “hipposandals” by the Romans. In Ancient Asia, horsemen equipped their horses with shoes made out of woven plants. Who was the first Read more…
English: View of the site where the United States Army slaughtered more than 700 Native American horses near the Spokane River in Washington Territory in the United States, on September 8, 9, and 10, 1858. What did American soldiers do to native American horses? On September 8, 1858, U.S. Army Read more…