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Equine Hoof Anatomy
Equine Hoof Anatomy - All You Need to Know
Want to know all about the hoof anatomy of a horse? In this article we explain the hoof anatomy of a horse including hoof diagrams and more…
Throughout my career as a professional farrier many people have expressed interest in the anatomy and function of the horse’s hoof.
We all know the old saying “no hoof, no horse!”
But how much do most of us know about the hoof and how it functions?
The horse is an amazing animal and I have heard people say that the anatomy of a horse is either a great design or the worst design ever? The horse has been around for millions of years and man over centuries has utilised the horse for war and work to more pleasurable pursuits.
The horse is one of the fastest animals on the planet for its size, yet can perform majestic athletic maneuvers, in all types of regions and environments from extreme cold to extreme heat, but the only thing holding the horse up, is just 4 hoofs!
So, if you ask me, it must be an amazing design?
It will take more than just one small article for me to explain everything so this will only be an introduction, but I hope you enjoy it.
Firstly, what is the hoof made of?
The hoof wall is a non-vascular horny covering on the end of the horse’s limb, not different in structure to your fingernails.
For the hoof to function correctly it is joined to the horse by the corium; this is a layer of dermal tissue that joins to the horny structures and enables growth.
The process in which the horny structures, hoof wall, sole and frog grow is called proliferation & cornification. Proliferation is the production of the cells, then subsequently those cells cornify producing hoof growth.
It is imperative as horse owners/carers that we understand and protect this junction and growth for our horses to perform the tasks we require of them; many issues can compromise this junction and we will cover some of these issues over time in future articles.
Parts of the Hoof:
Periople:
The Periople is much like our cuticle, it acts as a transition between two structures, the skin, and the hoof, it also protects the coronary band and can be clearly seen when the horses are wet.
Coronary Band:
The coronary band consists of the coronary corium and coronary papilla. Both tissues are vital to hoof growth! The coronary band is situated just below the Periople, and is the starting point for hoof growth.
The hoof wall:
Is the most visible part of the hoof when the horse is standing, it is a strong horny structure that protects the underlying structure of the foot and is held to the pedal bone via primary and secondary laminae. The hoof wall grows at about 8 mm per month on average but varies, however, grows faster in foals. It contains approx. 25% moisture and helps the horse to move across uneven terrain.
White Line:
The white line is situated between the wall and the sole on the solar surface and appears yellowish despite its name. The white line acts as a transition point between two structures: the horny wall and horny sole. The white line starts at the terminal papilla where it emulates from and does not continue the entire length of the hoof wall!
Many people misunderstand this when people use the term (white line disease) to describe a seedy toe! We will cover this subject in the future.
Sole:
The sole takes up the space between the white line and the frog and bars. The function of the sole is to protect the underlying sensitive structure within the hoof which includes the navicular bone pedal bone deep digital flexor tendon navicular bursa extra, the moisture content of the sole is approx. 35% depending on conditions.
Frog:
The frog is a supple V shaped tissue and is situated center of the foot between the bulbs of the hoof where it transitions with the bulbs, the frog provides traction and resists concussion, the frog is not the main concussion mechanism but it works in conjunction with other structures to help, the moisture content of the frog is approx. 50%.
Bars:
The bars are situated either side of the frog and act as a transition point between the frog and sole. The bars provide a strong structure to help the foot expand as it bears weight, assisting in concussion absorbing, and should be enhanced not removed.
Bulbs:
The Bulbs are situated at the back of the hoof and are similar in structure to the Periople thus performing a similar task of a transition between skin and hoof.
Paracaneal Grooves/ Lateral cleft:
These are the grooves either side of the frog.
For good hoof growth the horse must be well nourished and in good health. We must also regularly maintain the feet.
There have in recent times been many that endorse natural theory and talk of wild horses and the like! However, nature is very cruel and unforgiving, for many centuries horses were the main prey for more dominant predators, this is why we know so much about the evolution of the horse as its remains have been found and observed in abundance.
Wild horses don’t live very long as opposed to domesticated horses. Therefore, as horse owners and carers we have a duty of care to provide our horses with adequate nutrition and regular hoof care.
As I stated earlier the average hoof grows at approx. 8mm per month, this varies due to conditions, environment, age, and nutrition/ health.
Foals are the exception their foot grows at an amazing 12mm per month and undergoes many changes in early life, DR Simon Curtis FWCF has written a number of great books including (Foal to Racehorse) and (The Hoof of The Horse) if you wish to study these aspects in depth!
Nutrition:
It is essential for a horse to have a balanced diet. There are many hoof supplements on the market. It is not my intention to endorse one or the other, as I am a farrier and not a vet or nutritionist, however I will mention a few things that can affect hoof growth from a farrier perspective.
Calcium:
Deficiencies in Calcium may cause issues to hoof growth. It is essential that a horse has a balanced diet of calcium & phosphorus.
Selenium:
Excessive selenium may render the hoof susceptible to bacterial infection, selenium is an essential micronutrient however, horses are particularly sensitive to excess selenium, selenium toxicity this will first manifest at the coronet and the frog due to the high rate of growth.
Carbohydrates:
High levels of carbohydrates affect the hoof structure and may affect the intercellular lipids and cell membranes; however, the effect of high carb diets is more supple, high carb diets are usually low in calcium and high in phosphorus.
Note: You should seek advice from your veterinarian as to what diet best suits your horses’ requirements.
Moisture contents:
As I mentioned when describing the structures of the hoof there is a variance of approx. moisture content in the wall, sole and frog. This will vary due to conditions in the horse’s environment. It should be obvious enough that if it's in a dry arid environment a hoof will be lower in moisture rendering it hard and making it hard to work on, thus wearing out tools and farriers alike. On the other hand, if the horse is in a wet environment, the hoof can suffer from being too soft and there can be many issues resulting from this too. Again, there are several products to counter hard and soft hoofs.
Mustad offers a range of products that may suit your horse and their hooves:
I hope you have enjoyed this short introduction to the horse's hoof. We will cover the internal sensitive structures in later articles.
All the Best, Dean Lewis AWCF