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Hoof - Anatomy & Physiology (view source)
Revision as of 11:09, 19 August 2011
, 11:09, 19 August 2011→Sole Segment
The pigmentation of the hoof is derived from melanocytes found in the coronary epidermis. Any pigmentation in the hoof will be most pronounced in the outer part of the hoof wall as the deeper layers of the hoof usually contain fewer melanocytes. It is this unpigmented element of the hoof that forms the 'white line' in the sole of hoofs and is particularly important in horses as a landmark for shoeing.
The pigmentation of the hoof is derived from melanocytes found in the coronary epidermis. Any pigmentation in the hoof will be most pronounced in the outer part of the hoof wall as the deeper layers of the hoof usually contain fewer melanocytes. It is this unpigmented element of the hoof that forms the 'white line' in the sole of hoofs and is particularly important in horses as a landmark for shoeing.
===Sole Segment===
===Sole Segment===
The sole represents the part of the foot in contact with the ground and its composition differs between species. The keratin found in the sole is formed from the epidermis on the underside of the third phalanx and can grow to a thickness of around 10mm in domestic species. The keratin found on the sole is much more easily worn down or abraded than that of the wall of the hoof. The equine sole has a central frog structure whilst ruminants and pigs have a bulb structure to the sole.
===Frog-Bulb Segment===
===Frog-Bulb Segment===