In previous posts we have looked at the eye and ear of the horse to understand what God has done in these beautiful animals. Today, we're going to learn more about the hoof.
Old-time horse folks have a saying, "No hoof, no horse." A horse is only as good as his/her hooves. When an experienced horse person inspects a horse for purchase the first thing he/she will usually look at is the hooves. If they're sound then they'll inspect the rest of the horse. If there are hoof problems, they'll stop right there and move on to another horse.
The anatomy of the hoof is made up of several parts. The key parts are:
Outer Wall - The outer wall is what we usually see and call the hoof (see picture above). This is similar to our finger and toe nails and grows in a similar way. The hoof, just as our nails, should be strong and pliable. In the wild, mustangs keep their hoof walls worn down by traveling miles each day over rough terrain. Domestic horses require regular trimming by a farrier to do the same.
Sole - The sole is all the white area in the picture above. In a healthy horse the sole is hard with a slight concavity. When the horse puts its weight on the hoof this sole area should give and flex.
This flexing of the hoof wall and sole stimulates blood flow throughout the hoof and helps the hoof to stay strong and healthy.
Frog - The frog is the wedge shaped, tough material close to the heel of the hoof. It is similar to our finger tip.
Heel - The heel is the back of the hoof and its relationship to the rest of the hoof is critical to the health of the hoof and ultimately to the health of the horse. In the wild, the mustangs keeps their hoof heels worn down so the relationship to the overall hoof is correct, i.e., the heel is kept 'low' relative to the rest of the hoof. Again, the domestic horse requires regular trimming to do the same.
Here is a picture of the bottom of a healthy hoof with no horse shoe.
The interior of the hoof is also important to the health of the horse.
Coffin Bone - The key structure in the interior of the hoof is the coffin bone (A in the picture above). In a healthy hoof the coffin bone is similar in shape to the overall hoof and sits within the hoof in the same relative position - i.e., the bottom of the coffin bone is parallel to the bottom of the hoof.
When the hoof is not healthy, the coffin bone 'rotates' downward so that the point of the coffin bone touches the bottom of the hoof and, in extreme cases, can actually protrude through the hoof sole. This is painful for the horse and, if not treated quickly and well, can result in the horse being euthanized. The treatment is not easy, nor is it short-term. The horse will require lots of care over a long period of time, but it can be done.
Good food, good exercise and regular, competent trimming by an experienced farrier can help the horse keep his/her hooves healthy and strong.
Barefoot vs. Shoes - There is a lot of good discussion in the horse world over the advantages of a horse being barefoot (i.e., no horseshoes), or wearing horseshoes. In the wild, mustangs have healthy, strong hooves and domestic horses can have the same quality of hooves with proper care, regular trimming by a farrier trained in barefoot care, good diet, and regular exercise.
Our horses, Morgunn and Gletta, are barefoot. We know Morgunn has never had a horseshoe in his 9 years of life. When we bought Gletta she was barefoot and her hooves had obviously not had any shoes on them for a good long time, if ever. Her hooves are exceptionally strong and healthy. Our farrier comments every time about how good her hooves are. Morgunn's are good as well, but her hooves are exceptional.
Even though we obviously buy into the barefoot program, we don't say all horses should be barefoot. Horses are asked to do many different things in many different environments and it's up to each owner to decide what is best for his/her horse.
We don't pretend to know everything about hooves and we're still learning. Feel free to correct or add to any of the above in the comments.
To sum it up, just as the eye and the ear, the hoof is also one of God's amazing creations.
Today is July 29 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Martina McBride (country singer), Peter Jennings (ABC News anchor), Elizabeth Dole (wife of Senator Dole and President of the Red Cross), Clara Bow (silent movie actress - "The It Girl"), Stanley Kunitz (US Poet Laureate), Benito Mussolini (WW II Italian dictator), Daniel Day-Lewis (actor - "Last of the Mohicans"), Jerry Seinfeld (comedian - "Friends"), Zubin Mehta (symphony conductor), and Hirohito (former Emporer of Japan).
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