# Awsome country in Nevada.



## mattinthewild (Mar 12, 2011)

While hunting mule deer in Nevada I ran into this big herd of wild horses.


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## gitterdone81 (Sep 3, 2009)

Off Topic and a stupid question, but I don't know anything about horses. How do wild horses cope without the whole horse shoe from man?


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## Stellarmike (Mar 12, 2009)

That is a good question!


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## mattinthewild (Mar 12, 2011)

gitterdone81 said:


> Off Topic and a stupid question, but I don't know anything about horses. How do wild horses cope without the whole horse shoe from man?


If you look close in the video I think you can see them running on their tippy toes.


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## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

Sweet! Good song choice! I love "the man from snowy river"


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

gitterdone81 said:


> Off Topic and a stupid question, but I don't know anything about horses. How do wild horses cope without the whole horse shoe from man?


You'd have to pose this question to an ex farrier (TEX-O) to get a better explanation but compare just for a second, the wild horses everyday challenge's to the wusseyboy lifestyle of a domestic horse. Id imagine that constant grinding-chipping/wearing of a life "on the range" keeps those hooves worn right the heck down.


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## a_bow_nut (Feb 25, 2009)

Not having to carry between two or three hundred or more pounds on their backs helps some too.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

gitterdone81 said:


> Off Topic and a stupid question, but I don't know anything about horses. How do wild horses cope without the whole horse shoe from man?


The ONLY reason a horse would ever NEED a shoe is directly because of man screwing with them in the first place. Because of mans breeding practices and the way we use horses we've got horses that have small feet, thin hoof walls, lameness problems, gait faults, tendon issues, founder, and a never ending pile of other man caused issues that need therapeutic help. Ad to that, a lot of horses get used as equine athletes (race horses, barrel horses, rodeo horses, show horses, etc.) and require specialized shoeing to enhance their performance.

Wild Horses in the desert are born with out shoes, run 30 miles a day to water without shoes, , breed without shoes, fight without shoes, live to be 20-25 years old without shoes, have about a 90% birthrate without shoes, and reside in the most rugged, rocky, arid, god forsaken desert terrain known to man without shoes. Horses live in the wild and everywhere else just fine without shoes because their feet were made that way. (just like any other wild animal) The ones who have crappy feet, die. It's that simple.

The ONLY thing similar to a horse in the wild and a hoses at grandpas house that all the kids can ride is that they are both hosrses. That's IT!


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

You should see the horses ive seen in Australia. There winters are in the 50's at night in this area and these people put blankets on them. All their outside dogs have blankets as well. 
I asked a lady who owned a horse shop the question why these horses need blankets and she laughed they dont but its good business selling them. 

cool video!


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Blankets keep em nice a slick. Less time curry combing the woolly things...


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## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

I know horses and that was a pretty odd video to come accross that kind of activity in the wild. Don't get me wrong, wild horses act just like they did in the video but that is few and far between. They usually just EAT, Sleep and then eat some more. To have that kind of footage without them knowing you were there or changing their behavior because you were there but to just act crazy and carry on was in my oppinion rare. 

Tex, you forgot navicular disease.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

That is "rutting" behavior. Matt's videos are really second to none.

As to the "feet issues", Tex is a smart man. If you watch the video, look at how many horses have white stocking legs. Not very many. Most of the ones that have white legs have a brown hoof. Most "domestic" horses with white legs have white feet. White hooves are soft and fail much faster than hard brown hooves. I broke horses which ran on the rock of Promontory Point for 2 years. Those horses developed harder, stronger hooves. We all wear shoes or we walk on our carpet and smooth floors. Watch someone walk to their mail box to get the mail-- it looks like they are walking on glass. 

Anyway, I'd rank wild horses right up there with the other introduced scourges of cheat grass, the asian pine beetle, and feral cats.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

> Tex, you forgot navicular disease.


Ok, lets review...



> Because of mans breeding practices and the way we use horses we've got horses that have *small feet*, thin hoof walls, lameness problems, gait faults, *tendon issues*, founder, and a never ending pile of other man caused issues that need therapeutic help.


The Navicular bone sits right under the deep digital Flexor *tendon*. In fact it acts as a fulcrum for that tendon. Any issues with that tendon and the stress it puts on the navicular bone can cause periostioitis or severe necrosis of that bone and that's what causes navicular disease. Usually horses with small feet and big heavy bodys that are put to task and asked to be athletic are prone to this happening. Enter the American Quarter Horse... Navicular disease should be called Quarterhosreitis... :? Barshoes and a wedge pad..$$$$$$$$ :twisted:


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## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> > Tex, you forgot navicular disease.
> 
> 
> Ok, lets review...
> ...


The Navicular bone sits right under the deep digital Flexor *tendon*. In fact it acts as a fulcrum for that tendon. Any issues with that tendon and the stress it puts on the navicular bone can cause periostioitis or severe necrosis of that bone and that's what causes navicular disease. Usually horses with small feet and big heavy bodys that are put to task and asked to be athletic are prone to this happening. Enter the American Quarter Horse... Navicular disease should be called Quarterhosreitis... :? Barshoes and a wedge pad..$$$$$$$$ :twisted:[/quote:1o34qmas]

:mrgreen:  :mrgreen:


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## flint (Sep 13, 2007)

Wild horses that have bad hooves end up as coyote meat. Many domestic horses are kept in muddy corrals where their feet are always damp or wet. That makes their hooves softer over time.


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## mattinthewild (Mar 12, 2011)

Packout said:


> That is "rutting" behavior. Matt's videos are really second to none.
> 
> As to the "feet issues", Tex is a smart man. If you watch the video, look at how many horses have white stocking legs. Not very many. Most of the ones that have white legs have a brown hoof. Most "domestic" horses with white legs have white feet. White hooves are soft and fail much faster than hard brown hooves. I broke horses which ran on the rock of Promontory Point for 2 years. Those horses developed harder, stronger hooves. We all wear shoes or we walk on our carpet and smooth floors. Watch someone walk to their mail box to get the mail-- it looks like they are walking on glass.
> 
> Anyway, I'd rank wild horses right up there with the other introduced scourges of cheat grass, the asian pine beetle, and feral cats.


You are right about the rutting behavior. Those two were engaged in other activities shortly thereafter. That herd also had a survival tactic which I though was cool. As I was leaving the area one of the horses spotted me and in about 30 seconds all 50 horses or so ganged up in one big group and came at me shoulder to shoulder and then stood their ground about 20 yards in front of me.


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