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The wild horses life style has been researched in recent times and there is clearly a great deal more to discover. Lessons from wild horses - in these specimens mustangs from the great basin - have effected thousands of domestic horses already thanks to the natural hoof care revolution. Wild horse research has proved itself as THE milestone that changed the way many horse owners and professionals are viewing 1. generic equine care 2. correct hoof structure and function. World leaders in hoof care, using both metal shoeing and barefoot techniques have now embraced the implications a truly healthy hoof form signifies for today’s domestic horse.
Research has demonstrated the hooves amazing ability to adapt. Wild hoof specimens from all over the world are giving up their secrets and demonstrating what domestic hooves are actually capable of. Nature has answered the question already ! Evolution dating back over 50 million years to the earliest known ancestor of the horse - Eohippus (with four toes) - has sculptured the hoof into what it is today.
We now have examples of wild horse hooves - brought into domestication without the correct nutrition, environment, stimulation etc - debilitate quickly; a few weeks is all it takes. Domestic horses suffer an extensive list of ailments which at their worst can prove fatal. It is already clear from wild horse research that these ailments are virtually unheard of. There is a need to further our understanding to help answer enigmas existing in today’s equine management and challenge traditional beliefs which often leave a shortfall in the health and performance of the contemporary domestic horse. |
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This sagital section demonstrates how a healthy wild hoof is fully developed in the caudal part of the hoof, there is no underdeveloped soft, fatty tissue. It also shows that the pedal bone and hoof wall have a tight connection - with no separation - all the way to ground level. The significance of a healthy hoof ‘model’ has proven monumental. |
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‘I have already seen what a relatively tiny amount of wild hoof study has done for thousands of horses, many of which had been declared incurably lame. As many research dollars that have gone into the horse, why has there been so little reseacrh done on it in his natural environment ? When a zoo takes an animal out of the wild they must set up a habitat and diet that closely imitates its natural environment. Most horse owners don’t have a clue what is natural for the horse. This would be the only sensible place to start, not only with thier hooves but also with diet, exercise, training, and the list goes on. (Just think about how far horse training has come in recent years because a few people peeked into the horses natural world.) Imagine the benefits our horses could reap if serious, scientifically controlled research were done.’
Pete Ramey. Making natural hoof care work for you. 2003
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