| One of the characteristics that horses and cows have in common
is that they have hooves. Horses are perissodactylous, having hooves with
an odd number of toes, while cows are artiodactylous or having hooves with
an even number of toes. The hooves of a horse need to be shoed to protect
them against wear due to much exercise. On the other hand, the hooves of
a cow tend to overgrow due to lack of exercise and thus need to be trimmed
periodically to shape them correctly. Techniques that are necessary for
horseshoeing and cow hoof trimming look similar at a glance, but reasons
why foot care is required are very different. Furthermore, foot care techniques
differ slightly between perissodactylous and artiodactylous animals. But
no matter how different they may be, one of the things that we can do in
return for their benefits is to provide regular and correct foot care. |
