1. UNDERSTANDING THE HOOF

The central role of a horse’s hoof is to act as a shock absorber and protector of the internal structures. The hoof withstands huge forces from the weight of the horse - whilst standing still and in motion - hence the adage ‘no hoof, no horse’.

Back to basics

The hoof surrounds the lower part of the short pastern, the pedal and navicular bones, as well as the lower part of the deep digital flexor tendon.

The hoof wall grows downwards from a band of tissue called the coronary band or coronet. The horn grows at the rate of 1cm per month, taking approximately 1 year to grow from coronet to the ground. The outer covering of the hoof wall is termed the periople and is responsible for controlling
evaporation and moisture content within the hoof.

The internal surface of the hoof wall consists of a layer of non-sensitive laminae which inter-connects with the sensitive laminae, that is in turn attached to the pedal bone.

The underside of the hoof features a slight concave shape for strength and grip. Much of the concussion of movement is absorbed by the hoof. Beneath the pedal bone the digital cushion is located, which absorbs and dissipates the weight from the short pastern. This mechanism pushes wide the lateral cartilage, spreading the heel and concussive forces over a greater surface area.

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