This message is from: Marsha Jo Hannah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > "John D. Herr" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I would only add a question for people to ponder. > What do the wild horses around the world do to protect there > feet from wearing out?
1. Wild horses can (for the most part) choose the footing they walk on and the speed at which they move. 2. Wild horses tend to avoid letting anyone increase their hoof loading by putting 200--300 extra pounds on their backs. 3. Wild horses also avoid letting anyone hitch them to vehicles that (with driver and cargo) weigh 500--2000 lb. 4. Wild horses undergo "natural selection"---the ones with crummy feet become someone's lunch. Man has interfered significantly with domesticated horses. He breeds them for color, or speed, or pulling power, often to the detriment of the soundness of their legs and hooves. He saddles or harnesses them, and mandates that they work at gaits of his choosing, on surfaces of his choosing---including stuff like concrete or asphalt. He dictates their diet, and how much (or little) exercise they get when not "at work". There is darned little that's "natural" about modern domesticated horses. Marsha Jo Hannah Murphy must have been a horseman-- [EMAIL PROTECTED] anything that can go wrong, will! 15 mi SW of Roseburg, Oregon
