There are several reasons. Horses develop problems in their hooves if they don’t move around enough or are forced to put weight on only 3 legs. You can think of their hoof as a giant fingernail, and the bone behind it is shaped like a wedge pointing forwards and towards the ground. Too much pressure on the other 3 hooves can cause severe pain, swelling, and separation of the bone from the hoof. In severe cases the bone in the hoof can puncture through the bottom or separate from the top.
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