What is the underside of a horse's hoof called?
Sole. The sole is the underside of the hoof, but most of it does not make contact with the ground because it is a bit concave. The structure of the sole is similar to that of the hoof wall; however, the keratin found in the sole is more easily rubbed or worn down than that found in the hoof wall.
What are the parts of a horse’s hoof?
The first part of the hoof that you see is the hoof wall. This is the hard, horny outer covering that houses and protects the more delicate structures within, supports the weight of the horse and absorbs shock as the horse moves.
What attaches to the back of a horse’s foot?
At the back, the bone attaches to cartilage which forms a large portion of the back of the hoof . Tendons and ligaments are attached to this bone and a dense network of blood vessels run around and through it. This is another bone which is hard to visualise when viewed in cross section.
What is the heel of a horse called?
Commonly known as the heel, although this description can be misleading. This area is designed to receive the initial impact of the horse’s stride and a healthy angle of the bar comprises mainly of pliable inner wall, enabling it to dissipate excess shock with ease.
What are the parts of a horses hoof?
A horse's hoof is composed of the wall, sole and frog. The wall is simply that part of the hoof that is visible when the horse is standing. It covers the front and sides of the third phalanx, or coffin bone. The wall is made up of the toe (front), quarters (sides) and heel.
What are the two areas of the hoof called?
There are two and a bit bones inside the hoof. The Pedal bone, the Navicular bone and the bottom part of the Short Pastern bone.
What is the bottom of a horses foot made of?
The lower surface of the hoof, from the outer walls and the inner frog and bars, is covered by an exfoliating keratinised material, called the 'sole'. Just below the coronet, the walls are covered for about an inch by a cornified, opaque 'periople' material.
What is the Periople on a horse?
Periople. The periople is a small band of soft tissue found over the proximal surface of the wall of the hoof. The periople represents the junction between the wall and the skin of the limb. The periople is responsible for the production of the outer layer of the wall (above).
Why is the bottom of a horse's foot called a frog?
In German, the bottom of a horse's hoof is called the “frosch.” The frog forms a “V” (triangular) into the center of the sole. This triangular shape of the horse's pad, it is believed, probably reminded the early railroad men of the triangular area where 2 tracks met, which also got the name “frog.”
What are the quarters of a hoof?
The USDA describes the quarters as being on the sides of the hoof wall and that they are the narrowest area of the hoof wall. Without a precise description, it has become common practice to call the caudal area the quarters.
Why is it called the coffin bone?
The coffin bone meets the short pastern bone or second phalanx at the coffin joint. The "coffin bone" gets its name because it is encased in the hoof like a corpse in a casket.
What is the dermis of the hoof?
The layer of sensitive tissue between the horn building epidermis and the subcutaneous tissue or bone. It contains blood vessels and nerves and supplies the epidermis with all the nutrients it needs for the production of horn.
What is the hoof horn?
Hoof wall: The hard outer layer of the hoof, similar to a human fingernail, can also be called the hoof horn. Horn: Another name for the hard, outer covering of the hoof, also known as the hoof wall. Interdigital cleft: The space between the two claws of a cloven-hoofed animal.
Where is coronet and hoof?
The coronary band is one of the main sensitive tissues of the foot and is where the hoof wall forms. It is also called the coronet, this is a reference to its shape, encircling the upper part of the foot like a coronet. Its role is to supply blood to the structures of the foot.
What is a coronet on a horse?
The coronet, or coronary band, is the source of growth for the hoof wall. It is directly above the hoof wall and is protected by a thick layer of skin and dense hair. A healthy foot will grow about 3/8 of an inch per month.
What is the epidermal laminae?
What are LAMINAE? Laminae are finger-like protrusions of tissue. In the equine foot, there are 2 types of laminae: sensitive (dermal) laminae and insensitive (epidermal) laminae. These two types of laminae interdigitate with each other to form a bond that is responsible for holding the hoof wall onto the horse's foot.
What is the bottom bone of the hoof called?
Coffin Bone. The coffin (or “pedal”) bone is the bottom bone located near the toe and encapsulated in the hoof. It is the largest bone in the hoof and helps to shape the hoof wall. It’s surrounded by special tissues that help make-up the laminae of the hoof wall, as well as, the tissues of the sole.
What is the hoof wall?
The first part of the hoof that you see is the hoof wall. This is the hard, horny outer covering that houses and protects the more delicate structures within, supports the weight of the horse and absorbs shock as the horse moves. The hoof wall does not have nerves or blood vessels; it’s a continually growing, keratinous material ...
What tendon is on the back of the leg?
The extensor tendon attaches to the front of the coffin bone and straightens the leg; whereas, the deep digital flexor tendon runs down the back of the leg and wraps around the navicular bone, bending and flexing the leg. Always keep your horse’s hooves healthy with regular trims, a good diet and plenty of exercise.
What is the purpose of hoof bars?
The bars strengthen the heel area and control overexpansion of the heels. This area also contributes to building the sole of the hoof and helps support the horse’s weight.
What is the inner wall of a horse?
The inner wall of the hoof is more pliable than the hard outer wall. This extra “give” allows the inner wall to expand a bit with movement and absorb shock, protecting the vital inner parts of the hoof.The inner wall supports a multitude of leaf-like laminae, which attach the coffin bone to the inside of the hoof wall. These laminae bear much of the weight of the horse.
What is the periople of the hoof?
The periople covers the soft area just below the coronary band and helps protect the hoof wall. The soft area is made up of newly formed hoof wall tissue, and the periople helps give it time to harden.
Why are hooves important?
A horse’s hooves play a key role in its ability to survive and function. Without solid, sound feet, you have no horse, so understanding hoof anatomy is extremely important. The equine hoof is extremely complex, but you wouldn’t know that just by looking at it. It’s made up of several different parts, all serving a different purpose, ...
What is the white line on a horse's sole called?
This often causes people to misinterpret the white line as inner wall, so it is sometimes called the Golden Line – more accurate description that was commonly used in the 1800s. The purpose of the Golden Line is to join the sole to the inner wall of the hoof and to seal off the border of the pedal bone to protect it from bacterial infiltration. It creates a shallow crease at the bottom of the hoof which fills with dirt, aiding with traction.
What is the purpose of the outer hoof wall?
Its purpose is to bear the weight of the horse, protect the internal structures from harm and to act like a spring, storing and releasing energy during the different phases of the stride to help propel the horse along.
What is the purpose of the golden line on a horse?
The purpose of the Golden Line is to join the sole to the inner wall of the hoof and to seal off the border of the pedal bone to protect it from bacterial infiltration. It creates a shallow crease at the bottom of the hoof which fills with dirt, aiding with traction.
How does the hoof pump blood?
The hoof is heavily supplied with blood through the two arteries which run down the back of the leg and into the foot. The pedal bone itself has an unusually high density of blood vessels within it. The photograph shows the laminae which keep the hoof wall tightly bonded to the internal structures. The blood pumping around the foot has many vital uses. It supplies nutrients to allow growth of new horn tissue, assists with damping impact shock and helps to regulate hoof temperature.
Why is the inner hoof wall white?
It is more pliable than the outer wall due to it having a higher moisture content which enables the inner wall to stretch more as the outer wall moves, ensuring the inner workings of the hoof are protected from too much shock as well as allowing the pedal bone and the outer wall to move in different ways without losing strength of attachment.
Where is the short pastern bone?
Also known as the Middle Phalanx, the short pastern bone sits on top of the articulating joint of the pedal bone and underneath the long pastern bone. Only the bottom portion of this bone extends as far as the hoof capsule.
Which corium produces the sole?
For instance, the solar corium will produce the sole and the frog corium produces the frog. The coronet band contains a corium which produces the tubules and intertubular horn of the hoof wall, whereas more intertubular horn is manufactured in the corium surrounding the pedal bone (also known as the dermal layer or laminae).
What is the purpose of the horse hoof anatomy?
The idea in this horse hoof anatomy picture is to illustrate the concept of sensitive and non-sensitive structures of the foot. The sensitive structures and anatomy are generally located more internally (toward the center) provide nourishment which in turn promotes growth. They are rich in blood supply and nerves.
What are the layers of the hoof?
See and Identify the Layers of the Hoof. Horse hoof anatomy is complex. There are many structures within the hoof including bone, cartilage, bursa, ligaments and cushioning. All these structures work together to absorb shock, bear weight, resist wear, provide traction, and assist in pumping blood. There is a saying that says "No hoof, no horse.".
What is the sulcus of a frog?
On the left you will see the outer most or superficial part of the foot. Central Sulcus of the Frog - A sulcus is a depression or natural division. In the frog anatomy it is referring to the the depression between the two sides of the frog. The frog is the v-shaped structure. If you need some basic refreshers of hoof parts go here.
What is the medium of the hoof wall?
Stratum Medium of the Hoof Wall - The wall is the main part that bears weight. It grows downward from the coronary band at an average of 3/8" per month. White Line - A buffer between the movements of the sole and the wall of the foot.
What is an angle of the sole and wall?
Angles of the Sole and Wall - An angle describes a point where two intersecting borders come together. Heel, Quarters, and Toe - Shows the corresponding anatomy named as such. The toe is located at the front, for example.
What is the apex of a frog?
Apex of the Frog - The pointed or top part of the frog. Body of the Sole - The main part of the sole or bottom of the foot is arched and is mainly for protection. Epidermal laminae - Small ridges in the epidermal (outer most skin) layer.
Why do horses wear shoes?
They are rich in blood supply and nerves. Any injury to this area is extremely painful. The non-sensitive structures such as the wall are the reason that horses can wear shoes. The shoes are nailed through the non-sensitive areas.
What is the hoof of a horse?
A horse's hoof is composed of the wall, sole and frog. The wall is simply that part of the hoof that is visible when the horse is standing. It covers the front and sides of the third phalanx, or coffin bone. The wall is made up of the toe (front), quarters (sides) and heel. When the foot is lifted off the ground, the sole and frog are visible, ...
What is the hoof wall?
Figure 1. The wall, bars and frog are the weight-bearing structures of the foot. The wall of the hoof is composed of a horny material that is produced continuously and must be worn off or trimmed off. The hoof wall does not contain blood vessels or nerves.
What causes lameness in horses?
The navicular bone and its associated bursa — a fluid-filled sac that reduces friction between the tendon and the bone — are involved in navicular disease, which is a common cause of lameness. Internal structure of the horse foot. Internal structure of the horse foot. External structure of the horse foot.
What is the thickest part of the foot?
In the front feet, the wall is thickest at the toe; in the hind feet the hoof wall is of a more uniform thickness. The wall, bars and frog are the weight-bearing structures of the foot. Normally the sole does not contact the ground.
How does exercise help hoofs?
Exercise increases the blood circulation in the foot and favors good hoof growth. Lack of exercise, dryness of the horny wall, and poor nutrition inhibit hoof growth. Normally, the hoof wall grows at the rate of about three-eighths inch per month.
What is the wall of the foot?
The wall is made up of the toe (front), quarters (sides) and heel. When the foot is lifted off the ground, the sole and frog are visible, as well as the bars of the wall and the collateral grooves (Figure 1). The wall, bars and frog are the weight-bearing structures of the foot.
What is a frog's shape?
The frog, a highly elastic wedge-shaped mass, normally makes contact with the ground first. The frog presses up on the digital cushion, which flattens and is forced outward against the lateral cartilages. The frog also is flattened and tends to push the bars of the wall apart (Figure 3).
