According to Austrian company Megasus, we've been thinking about horse shoes all wrong - even though the classic iron shoe has been in use since well before 1,000 A.D.

Nailing the shoes into the horses' hooves was, until now, thought to be an effective practice because it was believed that the hoof was rigid and unable to move vertically when pounding the ground. But, in more recent years, it's been understood that that's simply not the case.

Permanent hoof protection through the use of materials like iron can actually restrict natural movement. According to Megasus, it's similar to humans going two months without cutting their toenails.

Kenneth Brown / EyeEm Getty Images

So, in an effort to create something more natural and friendly for the horse, Megasus has created the Horserunner - a non-permanent, shock absorbent horse shoe that allows for a greater range of hoof movement. The plastic shoe clips on and off so horses can strengthen their hooves and tendons by walking barefoot occasionally.

Founder, Charly Forstner, is a former animal welfare inspector who was responsible for protecting horses in Styria, Austria. After learning that most horses are put down due to hoof and leg complications, he came up with Horserunners. The invention allows horses to keep their natural hoof shape while also giving them the flexibility to only wear shoes when they need them.

You can find more information on the company and their product here.

What do you think?

(h/t Business Insider) From Country Living US.

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