Evolution

Fossils dating back 55 million years have been identified as the earliest ancestors of today's horses, and even the modern horse has been with us over a million years.   Importantly, the horse has been effectively a single-toed, hoofed animal for more than 10 million years.

That's over 10 million years of evolution, trial and error to perfect the modern horse's hoof.  10 million years of mileage over tough terrain, escaping from predators, and honing the ideal hoof structure for optimum speed, shock absorption and biomechanics.

Add to that another 3,000 years of domestication, with more mileage, this time ridden and driven as well, and still the hoof was doing well and serving both us and our horses admirably.

So do we really, honestly, truly, think we are going to be able to improve on that?  Even if we have all been studying hooves REALLY HARD for a long time - even if you are a farrier or trimmer with life-long experience?  Do you have enough experience to improve on 10 million years of evolution?

Surely its pure arrogance  - and ignorance - on our part to think we should be able to tell our horses the best way to load their hooves, use their hooves or balance their hooves?   The only way we can improve our horses' hooves is by listening to what they tell us they need and respecting how the hoof has evolved to perform.