The hoof is an extremely important structure in an animal’s body
Hoof wall is equivalent to our fingernails. This is the strongest horn and is crucial for weight bearing.
The Frog is equivalent to the foot pad on a dog or a cat
White line is the junction between the wall horn and sole horn. Its made of weaker horn.
Pedal/ coffin bone is equivalent to the bone in our fingertips and is the main hoof bone. It is triangular in shape.
Lamina corium is the tissue which supports the pedal bone within the hoof wall.
Sole corium is in charge of making new sole horn. It is prone to damage and can lead to bruising and ulcers.
Coronet band is at the hairline at the top of the hoof. The wall horns grow from here.
Flexor tendons attach to the pedal bones. Damage after deep infections can lead to toe distortion.
Digital cushion is a dense fat pad under the heel that is important for absorbing pressure and protecting the pedal bone when walking.
