Some of you probably read this article when it first came out several years ago. I just read through it again, and found it more interesting this time.
https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/downloads/11-140
Here are a couple of things I found very interesting:
Another thing I think of is that this information seems to go against our ideas that horses need to move many miles/km per day, and how instead a horse in its ideal environment may move much less, i.e. only up to 10 miles or 16 km a day. Which also has some implications for how many miles it is good to ride a horse versus what may be unhealthy, even for their hooves. It also has implications for whether we should add hard surfaces to horses' turnouts, since in these studies the horses on the softer surfaces tended to have less serious issues.
Thoughts?
https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/downloads/11-140
Here are a couple of things I found very interesting:
The study gives me a lot of food for thought regarding a few things. For one, if the thick walls of the mustang hoof are a defense mechanism and the thickened laminae are caused by chronic laminitis from excessive concussive forces, perhaps we should not be trying to "toughen up" our horses feet or getting them to add callous as is a popular idea. I was interested to read that there is no research to tell us yet how much sole depth is good or whether too much sole depth is bad (in some cases, I know it has been detrimental to hoof health). It can be a very individual thing.
Another thing I think of is that this information seems to go against our ideas that horses need to move many miles/km per day, and how instead a horse in its ideal environment may move much less, i.e. only up to 10 miles or 16 km a day. Which also has some implications for how many miles it is good to ride a horse versus what may be unhealthy, even for their hooves. It also has implications for whether we should add hard surfaces to horses' turnouts, since in these studies the horses on the softer surfaces tended to have less serious issues.
Thoughts?