Hooves & Horns

Question 1

What is the integument compromised of?

Answer 1

• hair
• glands
• horns
• hoof
• claws

Question 2

Why is the skin important?

Answer 2

• is a protective barrier
• reduces water loss
• protects from invasion of microorganisms
• protects from abrasive trauma
• thermoregulation
• hair, coat, claws, horns, hoofs, footpads

Question 3

What are the 8 external structures of the hoof?

Answer 3

• frog
• sole
• bulbs of heel
• seat of corn
• bars
• coronet (coronary band)
• white line
• periople

Question 4

Characteristics of the frog?

Answer 4

• triangular wedge which has a role in circulation, absorption concussion and grip

Question 5

Characteristics of the sole?

Answer 5

• supports and protects internal structures of the hoof
• thickness of the sole varies
• sole can be susceptible to bruising

Question 6

Characteristics of the bulbs of the heel?

Answer 6

• works with frog and sole to assist circulation and expansion of hoof when it hits the ground

Question 7

Characteristics of the seat of the corn?

Answer 7

• point on the sole where the bars make an angle with the wall of the hoof

Question 8

Characteristics of the bars?

Answer 8

• allow for expansion of the foot and provide strength

Question 9

Characteristics of the coronet?

Answer 9

• point from which the horn grows

Question 10

Characteristics of the white line?

Answer 10

• boundary between the internal and external structures of the foot, used by farriers as a guide when placing nails

Question 11

Characteristics of the periople?

Answer 11

• forms and outer layer to protect hoof and maintain moisture

Question 12

What are the 9 internal structures of the hoof?

Answer 12

• bones (proximal to distal)
• digital cushion
• lateral cartilages
• corium
• perioplic corium
• coronary corium
• laminar corium
• sole corium
• frog corium

Question 13

Characteristics of the bones?

Answer 13

• short pastern (or 2nd phalanx)
• pedal bone (3rd phalanx)
• navicular bone (distal sesamoid)

Question 14

Characteristics of the digital cushion?

Answer 14

• wedge shaped structure just above the frog, filling space above the heel of the foot
• assists with absorption of concussion and encourages blood circulation every time it hits the ground

Question 15

Characteristics of the lateral cartilages?

Answer 15

• 2 curved discs of cartilage attached to the pedal bone
• works with the cushion to promote circulation and absorb shock
• they are flexible in young horses, but become fibrous with age

Question 16

Characteristics with the corium?

Answer 16

• part of the skin of the lower leg and is modified vascular dermis
• it is divided into sections according to the parts of the hoof which it runs under

Question 17

Characteristics of the perioplic corium?

Answer 17

• supplies the periople with nutrients

Question 18

Characteristics of the coronary corium?

Answer 18

• nourishes the hoof wall

Question 19

Characteristics of the laminar corium?

Answer 19

• supports the pedal bone and thus the weight of the horse

Question 20

Characteristics of the sole corium?

Answer 20

• attaches the sole of the pedal bone to the horny sole of the foot

Question 21

Characteristics of the frog corium?

Answer 21

• provides nourishment to the digital cushion and functions with the frog

Question 22

What are the dewclaws?

Answer 22

• they are accessory digits
• corresponding to digit II (medial) and V (lateral)

Question 23

Difference in dewclaws in ruminants and pigs?

Answer 23

• ruminants dewclaws do not bear weight and have little significance
• pigs dewclaws are smaller and well developed and sometimes touch the ground

Question 24

What are chestnuts?

Answer 24

• horn like growths on the medial side of horses limbs

Question 25

What are ergots?

Answer 25

• small projections of cornified epithelium in the centre of the palmar part of the fetlock of a horses limb, often hidden by hair

Question 26

What is locomotion?

Answer 26

• the sequence of how an animal lifts its feet from the ground and described as being gait

Question 27

What is walking?

Answer 27

• the slowest gait when the foot comes down separately and weight is taken equally on all 4 feet which are lifted one at a time

Question 28

What is trotting?

Answer 28

• the body alternately balances on diagonally opposite feet

Question 29

What is galloping?

Answer 29

• during this phase there is a floating phase in which none of the feet are on the ground and are gathered under the body, there is never more than 2 legs on the ground at the same time

Question 30

What is cantering?

Answer 30

• a slower form of gallop in which both hind feet are still on the ground when the first forefoot returns to the ground

Question 31

How many digits do horses have?

Answer 31

1 digit (3rd one)

Question 32

How many digits do cattle, sheep, pigs have?

Answer 32

2 main digits (3rd and 4th one)

Question 33

What digits are the dewclaws?

Answer 33

Digits 2 and 5

Question 34

Describe structure of dew claw in cow and sheep?

Answer 34

• don’t have well developed phalanges
• have a wall and small bulb

Question 35

Describe structure of declaw in pigs?

Answer 35

• they have 3 phalanges
• small but well developed hoof

Question 36

Do lateral or medial digits bear more weight?

Answer 36

Lateral digits bear more weight

Question 37

Why is the sole and bulb of the hoof important?

Answer 37

• weight is carried on the sole and bulb
• pigs have larger bulb so larger weight bearing surface

Question 38

How do horns form?

Answer 38

• form over a corneal process

Question 39

What do horns consist of?

Answer 39

• consist of dense kertine and elongates from the base
• nutritional levels can influence horn growth

Question 40

What is dehorning?

Answer 40

• destroying the corium when buttons in young animals
• animals that don’t have horns are polled