Gallop out of the Iron Age
Running shoes for horses? Giddy up.
All photos courtesy of Megasus Horserunners
Time to kick your iron and nails aside
You wouldn't stick metal to the bottom of your foot by hammering nails into it before you go on a run, so why should you do it to a horse's feet?
The folks behind Megasus Horserunners asked the exact same question.
But … hooves are rigid. Right?
Apparently not.
“We found the common understanding of the functioning of the hoof to be wrong. People still think that hooves are rigid and stiff, only able to move 1-4 mm on a horizontal plane-this is simply not the case,” the product page states.
The website makes a lot of comparisons between horses' hooves and people's feet to explain why the Horserunners are the way they are, and we think it's pretty compelling. When asked why the runners aren't permanent, they reply, “Imagine not cutting your toenail and letting it grow for two months. Besides it being a bit gross, how would it feel if you tried to put on your shoes?” Yikes.
According to their website, Megasus founder and director of research and development, Charly Forstner, was an animal welfare inspector responsible for protecting horses in Styria, Austria, more than 25 years ago. From his experience, he noticed that most of the horses that needed to be put down suffered from hoof and leg problems.
Megasus Horserunners, Pegasus Iron Horseshoes' younger, cooler brother
The Horserunners are lightweight, durable, adjustable, as well as easy to put on and take off. This is also all without twisting or rotating on the hoof, rubbing, chafing or undue pressure to any part of the hoof.
The process of mounting the shoes is stress-free for you and the horse. Simply mark, stick, cut and put, according to the website. No more hammering and filing. Phew!
