The marks on this horse's front legs is called Firing. A belief that searing the legs with hot red metal will make the legs stronger.
Don't be fooled, our own countries still have show horse owners that sore their Tennessee Walkers, other gaited horese, with chains, chemicals, pads and severe trimming with heavy shoes. Race horese may get pin firing (burning tissue in the horse's leg) & forcing bucked shins on the young race horse believing it to make their leg bones stronger. Horses all over are killed in accidents in the name of "sport". I have seen it first hand. So did my 4-H kids who were with me.