Veterinary Anatomy and Embryology 1 - The Hoof

Veterinary Anatomy and Embryology 1 (ANH121) - The Hoof

• The hoof is the horny covering of the distal part of the digit.
• The epidermis of the skin is modified to form the hoof.
• Hoof skeleton consists of:
  • Distal part of the 2nd phalanx
  • 3rd phalanx (Coffin or Pedal bone)
  • Navicular bone
  • Lateral cartilages
• The hoof is composed of three parts:
  • Wall
  • Sole
  • Frog
• Wall:
  • Toe (highest and thickest part of the wall)
  • Quarter (sides of the wall)
  • Heel (palmer or planter aspect of the wall)
  • Bars (extension of the heel dorsally)
• Wall inner side:
  • Contains primary and secondary epidermal lamellae
• Sole:
  • Crescent-shaped, major portion of ground surface
  • Separated from the wall by the white line
  • Junction between wall and sole is called the angle of the sole
  • White line indicates sensitive internal structures
  • Nails of the shoe are placed on the white line
• Frog:
  • Wedge-shaped, at the junction between the bars of the wall and the concave border of the sole
  • Called the "heart of the horse's foot"
  • Helps push blood from the foot to the body
  • Composed of:
    • Apex
    • Two crura (ridges separated by central sulcus)
    • Base (forming two caudal prominences)
• Digital Cushion
  • Lies above the frog, inside the foot
  • Fibrocartilaginous tissue with interspersed fat
  • Functions
    • Shock absorption
    • Supports internal structures (navicular bone)
• Corium of the hoof (underlying dermis):
  • Highly vascular tissue which nourishes the hoof capsule
  • Sensitive due to nerve presence
  • Divided into:
    • Perioplic (Marginal) corium
    • Coronary corium
    • Laminar (Lamellar) corium
    • Solar corium
    • Corium of the frog
• Horse Shoeing
  • Protects the hoof from wear
  • Used to correct foot angle (deformity)
  • Fixed with nails into the insensitive hoof wall

Balanced Horse

• Horse anatomy must achieve a balance. -Angles and positions are shown in the slide