Horse hoof anatomy

By Kentucky Equine Research - The white line is the narrow, light-coloured band visible on the underside of a freshly trimmed hoof at the junction of the hoof wall and the sole. White line disease, an infection that causes separation of the wall, may be seen first at the white line but actually affects the zone of contact between the hard outer hoof wall and the middle layer of hoof tissue. It occurs most commonly in front feet but can occur in any foot.

A horse’s hoof is composed of the wall, sole and frog. Read this guide to learn more about the functional anatomy of the horse foot. | Robert C. McClure Department of Veterinary Anatomy College of Veterinary Medicine A horse's hoof is composed of the wall, sole and frog. The wall is simply that part of the hoof that is visible when the horse is standing. It covers the front and sides of the third phalanx, or coffin bone. The wall is made up of the toe (front), quarters (sides) and heel…

This basic anatomy drawing shows a labeled cross-section of the parts of the horse’s hoof and leg below the fetlock. The drawing is a color plate illustration from the book ‘Horse-Shoe…

Visit the post for more.

Here are some helpful charts on the Hoof, this is a vital part of keeping a horse at its best. (I do not own these photos)

Is your farrier certified with the American Farrier’s Association (AFA)? Did he or she serve an extensive apprenticeship at the beginning of their career? Does your farrier pursue additional education?

Sophie is a twelve-year-old seven-eighths Hanoverian mare whose main job is dressage. She is also hacked out for an hour or two a couple of times a week. She is fit and robust, but she has recurring bouts of problems with her stifles. Immediately after being shod, she has no issues. But as she gets further along in her shoeing interval her rider notices that her stifles keep catching.