system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do horses need metal shoe rings? Are they not able to walk on their own like other animals?
gpt
Well they actually are more than able to live without shoes, wild horses never have shoes. For domestic horses which are bred for riding or pulling shoes help with their foot health. Horse hooves are made of keratin, basically they're really big thick fingernails, meaning much like human fingernails they're somewhat pliable and prone to fractures.

However, unlike humans a split nail doesn't just give them a hangnail. They have to walk on a potentially painful split or the split may get infected. Wow by shoeing the horse the owner prevents pain and more importantly saves money from expensive vet visits.