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A horse's legs have rough ends called hoofs. Livestock breeders use this term to refer to the cornea and everything that is in it. So what are horse hooves and how to care for them?

Anatomical and physiological features of the hoof

The hoof is the formation around the phalanges. This is a kind of modified skin. In it, the epidermis is a callus. Looking at the hoof, from an anatomical point of view, it is related to human nails. This includes upper layer and all the elements contained within.

This formation on the leg is of great importance to the horse. It is able to withstand a large weight of the animal’s body, smooth out the impact force, and prevent joints from becoming deformed. In addition, thanks to this part of the leg, the animal receives a sufficient amount of blood during exercise.

The structure of a horse's hoof

Horse hooves

Don't think that a horse's hoof is just a hard shell.

In fact, it's very complex design, which consists of:

ligaments,
muscles,
cartilage,
bones,
joints.

In addition, the hoof consists of the stratum corneum, epidermis, base of skin and subcutaneous layer.

Appearance of the hoof:

Border. It is formed in the area where the hairy part of the skin transitions to the stratum corneum. The width of the border is no more than six millimeters. Top part border consists of hair follicles And sebaceous glands. This part of the hoof is necessary in order to reduce the load on the skin, connecting it with the stratum corneum.
Whisk. This part is a little further than the border. It is also important in the structure of the hoof as it connects the front and side walls and provides shock absorption when the horse walks or runs.
Hoof wall. It contains the horny part, epidermis and base of the skin.

The cornea contains:

glaze,
tubular horn,
leaf horn.

On the leaf horn are:

hoof planes,
bar areas.

Sole. This part is a flat plate with a cutout for the arrow.

Comprises:

epidermis,
skin basics.

Performs protective function for soft tissues from deformation that are located deep in the hoof. It grows and regenerates very quickly.

Crumb. This part is located between the bars and has the shape of a wedge. It is divided by a longitudinal groove.

Comprises:

epidermis,
stratum corneum,
skin basics,
subcutaneous layer.

A newborn foal's hooves have a protective capsule called a "larch" that falls off on its own over time. The baby needs it so as not to damage it while in the womb. internal organs. A derivative horse carries its baby for eleven months.

Shape and size

The shape and size of a horse's hoof depends on many factors. First of all, from heredity, as well as from the influence natural conditions. But what is most important in this case is the properties of the rock. For example, heavyweight horses have large, spacious hooves. Thoroughbred racehorses have small, narrow hooves that have a sharp slope.

Shape and size

In addition, their appearance It also depends on which limbs they are located on. The rear “shoe” of the horse is much smaller than the front and at the same time has a sole concave inward.

The form has several stages of modification throughout life. In most cases, this happens due to external factors and foot placement. The appearance of the hoof is influenced by how the animal is kept. If it is constantly in a place where it is always damp, then the hooves will be wide. A dry stall provides a narrow, neat horse "shoe". The form is also influenced by the way the animal is used.

Interesting to know. Hoof action is the changes that occur during movement. If the horse's leg is at rest, the corolla lowers and the frog expands. When the limb is raised, the claw takes on the opposite shape.

Signs of a Healthy Hoof

To keep the hooves always healthy, the horse needs to receive the load evenly. In addition, it is imperative to take care of the limbs and trim the cornea in a timely manner. At the same time, you should know that if it is formed correctly, then its surface is covered with a neat, full-fledged coating ball and has no cracks or holes.

Signs of a Healthy Hoof

The foot should be concave and not have any wrinkles. The arrow should be neat, well developed, pointed. Cracks and any dents must be completely absent.

The shape of the crumbs in a healthy hoof should be regular, slightly rounded. The groove is clearly visible between them. There should be no dents or cracks on the hoof.

Signs of problem hooves in a horse

Determining that the hooves are deformed is difficult even for experienced farmers who run their own stud farm, since the horse in such cases does not show any signs of the disease at all.

Therefore it is necessary to adhere the following recommendations to identify pathology:

You need to learn what healthy limbs a horse should be like, only then can you examine them to see the slightest deviations from the norm.
You should carefully observe the behavior of the animal at rest. A healthy horse's legs stand straight. If there is a pathology, then the limbs will bend forward to give the heels that are inflamed the opportunity to rest. The coffin bone in a horse can also become deformed when shoeing pathology occurs.
While walking, a sick horse will land its foot on the toe, which causes splashes to appear from under the hoof. In addition, the animal begins to flex its wrist to relax the muscles. A healthy horse will place his limb on his heel.
To avoid any problems with the horse’s limbs, it is not recommended to shoe a young horse under five years of age. The reason for this is that the bones are not yet fully formed. Early forging always ends unpleasant consequences for horse health.
The neck and shoulders of the animal will tell you about hoof problems. If the shoulder blades do not have a curve, and the neck is very short, thick and dense, this means that the animal has too much growth. muscle mass. This happens when there is some problem with the limbs.

Important! As soon as it is noticed that the horse’s legs have abnormalities, you should immediately contact a veterinarian for treatment.

Correct shoeing of a horse

Wild animals from the Equine order have the ability to move without any additional funds protection. The limbs of domestic horses must be carefully cared for. The health of the animal depends on this. Shod horses are additionally protected, and they also work more efficiently under load.

People who “shoe” horses are called farriers.

But you can shoe an animal yourself if you carefully study the instructions and follow them:

First comes the preparatory work. Then you need to lift the horse's leg and free it from the remains of the old worn-out horseshoe. Completely clean the lower part of the limb. Cut off all exfoliated and coarsened layers, pinch off top edge the horse's hooves, which protrude significantly forward, using a special tool. The sole must be leveled and smoothed.
The next step is to pick up a horseshoe. It should be the right size. When choosing between a smaller and a larger horseshoe, it is better to choose the larger one, since it can be adjusted to the desired parameters. This is done in three ways: by heating the metal, cold forging or turning.
The horseshoe is attached to the hoof using nails. This must be done very carefully so as not to harm the animal. The nails are screwed in at an obtuse angle so that the pointed edge goes from the middle outward. After this, the ends are bent and riveted with a hammer.
After this, you need to clean and sand all the rough sides of the hoof. Every bump and rivet is polished so that the horse’s “shoes” have a beautiful appearance. You can use a regular file for this. All edges that protrude above the horseshoe must be removed.
In the same way, procedures should be carried out with the remaining limbs. But it should be remembered that the hooves of a horse's hind leg have larger size than the front.

Hoof cleaning and trimming

To keep your horse's legs healthy, they need to be trimmed and cleaned periodically. It is recommended to do this procedure every month or two. Thanks to this process, the horse's hooves will not crack, chip, or hypertrophy.

special stand,

forceps.

Having prepared all the necessary things, you can begin the operation.

The procedure is as follows:

To make the operation much easier, the horse’s hoof needs to be soaked in a puddle, where it should stand for several minutes. Thanks to this, the shell will soften. The horse must be secured with straps.
First you need to clean inner part hooves To do this, use a special hook with a brush. At the same time, they remove solid objects that could be stuck in the deepest places. Then the arrows are completely cleaned, and it is determined exactly how much callous formation needs to be cut off.
You need to stand closer to the horse's shoulder and raise the hoof and fix it between the legs. The walls must be cut from the walls to the toe. In this case, you need to ensure that you trim off the excess evenly.
To level the sole, you need to use a rasp. Alignment should be done from heel to toe. In this case, you need to ensure that the surface is smooth, without any formations.

Important! If a person does not know how to use the above tools, then it is best to contact a specialist.

To have on your farm healthy horse, first of all, you need proper care behind her limbs. You need to ensure that the hoof shape is correct at all times. You need to clean and trim the cornea in a timely manner.

Skin structure.

Mammalian skin consists of three layers:

1) epidermis (cuticle),

2) the bases of the skin or dermis,

3) subcutaneous layer.

Epidermis- epidermis is the outer layer of the skin (Fig. 1 - A). In mammals, the epidermis is formed by stratified squamous keratinizing epithelium. Two layers can be distinguished in the epidermis: the deep producing (germ) layer (Fig. 2 - 10) and the superficial stratum corneum (Fig. 2 - 11).

The basis of the skin, or the skin itself ( rice. 1 - B) has three designations - derma, cutis, corium. It consists of connective tissue. It distinguishes between papillary and reticular layers .

Papillary layer The base of the skin is located under the basement membrane, which separates the base of the skin from the epidermis. Its superficial part forms papillae, due to which the area of contact with the epidermis increases. The papillary layer consists of loose connective tissue, as well as individual bundles of smooth muscle tissue. It contains a dense network of nerve endings (Fig. 1 – 7, 8) and blood vessels(Fig. 1 – 9,10). The latter ensure the delivery of nutritional material to the cells of the epidermis, where nutrients penetrate by osmosis, since the vessels do not enter the epidermis, and also participate in thermoregulation processes.

Mesh layer The base of the skin consists of dense connective tissue. There are few cells in it, but in large quantities there are elastic fibers and powerful collagen bundles intertwined with each other in the form of a dense network. It is the mesh layer that gives the skin strength and elasticity.

Subcutaneous layer(Fig. 1 - C) - tela subcutaneus, hypoderma - consists of loose connective tissue containing body fat(Fig. 1 - 15). In the subcutaneous layer there are cracks and passages through which tissue fluid moves. A well-developed subcutaneous layer provides greater skin mobility. The absence or small layer of the subcutaneous layer, on the contrary, leads to a tight connection of the base of the skin with the underlying parts of the animal’s body, to the absence or very weak mobility of the skin (distal parts of the limbs, hoof, horn).

Leather derivatives – These are formations that were formed as a result of changes in the structure of individual areas of the skin. These include hair, hooves, claws, pulps, claws, nails, horns and skin glands.

Hair

Hair- pili - are a derivative of the epidermis of the skin. They form the fur of animals, which plays a protective and thermoregulatory role. The hair is a keratinized, hard, but flexible and elastic thread. It is hygroscopic and does not conduct heat well.

Rice. 1. Structural diagram skin:

A – epidermis; B – dermis; C – subcutaneous layer; D – sinus hair; 1 – hair shaft; 2 – hair root; 3 – hair follicle; 4 – hair papilla; 5 – hair follicle; 6 – sinuses of the hair follicle; 7 – nerves; 8 – skin receptors; 9 – arteries; 10 – veins; eleven - lymphatic vessel; 12 – sweat gland; 13 - sebaceous gland; 14 – muscle that lifts the hair; 15 - subcutaneous fat; 16 – hair follicle; 17 – root sheath.

In domestic animals, hair is absent on the crumbs of the fingers, nasal (in sheep, dogs) and nasolabial (in large cattle) mirrors, on the nipples of the udder. In some pig breeds it is completely absent.

Hair presented rod hair (Fig. 1 - 1), protruding above the surface of the skin, and root hair (Fig. 1 – 2) remaining in the skin. Hair root immersed in the hair sheath (follicle) (Fig. 1 - 16). The hair follicle consists of an epithelial root sheath (Fig. 2 - 17) and a connective tissue hair bursa (Fig. 1 - 5). From the hair follicle to the epidermis of the skin, bundles of smooth muscle fibers (the pilus levator muscle) are sent (Fig. 1 - 14), which, contracting, raise the hair with a “ruff” and help remove the secretions of the sebaceous glands. Into the cavity hair follicle the duct opens sebaceous gland(Fig. 1 - 13).

Extended hair root base – bulb ( rice. 13 ) - is a place of increased proliferation of cells from which the hair shaft is formed. Penetrates into the bulb hair papilla ( rice. 14 ) . It consists of connective tissue with a mass of blood vessels and nerves (Fig. 1 – 7, 9, 10). The first ones deliver hair necessary for life nutrients, and nerves provide connection between the hair and the body as a whole.

Histologically, hair consists of medulla (core) (Fig. 2 - 3) , cortex (Fig. 2 - 2) and cuticle (Fig. 2 - 1).

brain matter, or core, occupies a central position in the rod. It consists of one or more rows of living and partially keratinized epithelial cells. Air bubbles are found inside and between the cells, due to which the hair has low thermal conductivity. The most delicate hair of sheep (down), the hair of young animals, and some others do not have brain matter (Fig. 2 - C).

Cortex forms the bulk of the hair shaft and consists of keratinized cells. The cortex contains the pigment that determines the color of the hair. A certain color of animal hair is called suit.

Cuticle hair has one row of flat, keratinized, overlapping one another, anucleate cells. The configuration of the boundaries of the cuticle cells determines the pattern of the hair, which is not the same in different animals.

Rice. 2. Hair types:

A - long hair; B – cover hair; C – downy hair; 1 – cuticle; 2 – cortex; 3 – medulla.

The following hair types are distinguished:

1) Long hair ( rice. 3 - A ) , relatively thick hair with a developed medulla forms in horses a bang, mane, tail, brushes (under the pastern and metatarsus). They have a predominantly protective value.

2) Tactile(sinus) hair (Fig. 1 - D) has blood sinuses in the hair follicle (Fig. 1 - 6), equipped with numerous nerve endings (Fig. 1 - 7, 8). They are found on the lips, near the nostrils and eyes.

3) Integumentary hair ( rice. 2 - B ) - cover the animal's body and protect against vibrations ambient temperature. They are divided into:

woolen- short, the core is poorly developed;

bristly- the core is well developed. Scattered among the wool. Pigs have the majority of this hair,

down ( rice. 2 - C ) - have no core, the cortex is poorly developed, thin, convoluted.

The outer hair is located on the animal's body in a certain direction, forming hair flows (linear, circular).

Hair falls out periodically or continuously, and new ones grow in their place - this process is called molting:

Shedding happens:

periodic, is characteristic of wild animals and occurs mainly in spring and autumn.

constant(permanent), typical for domestic animals, the frequency of hair changes is not so clearly expressed.

juvenile- changing hair from their structural change after birth (replacement of intrauterine hair with extrauterine hair), as well as during puberty of animals.

Hoof.

Hoof – ungula – a derivative of the skin transformed at the end of the finger into a hard skin tip. There are 4 anatomical parts on the hoof:

1. hoof border;

2. hoof corolla;

3. hoof wall;

4. hoof sole.

Hoof border– limbus ungulae ( rice. 3 - A ) It looks like a narrow strip, about 0.5 cm, and forms the transition from the hairy skin of the limb to the hairless skin of the hoof. It consists of the epidermis, the base of the skin and the subcutaneous layers.

Epidermis The border (Fig. 3 - 6) consists of the producing and stratum corneum. The horny layer of the border descends towards the sole of the hoof and, covering the wall of the hoof, forms a thin shiny layer - glaze of the hoof wall – stratum vitreum( rice. 3 - 8 ) . The glaze is impervious to water and protects the underlying layers of the hoof from swelling.

Leather base(Fig. 3 - 5) consists of papillary and reticular layers. The papillae are small, 1-2 mm long, descending downwards, which determines the direction of displacement of the horn border.

Subcutaneous layer ( rice. 3 - 4 ) slightly developed.

Rice. 3. Horse hoof structure:

A – hoof border; B – hoof corolla; C – hoof wall; D – hoof sole; 1 – epidermis; 2 – base of the skin; 3 – subcutaneous layer; 4 - subcutaneous layer of the hoof border and 4a - hoof crown; 5 – base of the skin of the hoof border and 5a – hoof crown; 6 – epidermis of the hoof border; 7 – epidermis of the hoof corolla; 8 – glaze of the hoof wall; 9 – tubular horn of the corolla; 10 – leaf horn of the hoof wall; 11 – leaf layer of the base of the skin of the hoof wall; 12 - white line; 13 – stratum corneum of the sole of the hoof; 14 – base of the skin of the hoof sole; 15 – periosteum; 16 – stratum corneum of the frog of the digital crumb; 17 – base of the skin of the frog of the digital crumb; 18 – stratum corneum of the digital cushion; 19 – base of the skin of the finger crumb cushion; 20 – subcutaneous layer of the digital crumb cushion.

Hoof corolla– corona ungulae ( rice. 3 - B ) wide, about 1 - 1.5 cm, located in a semicircle below the hoof border, constituting the proximal edge of the hoof wall. The hoof corolla, like the border, consists of the epidermis, base of the skin and subcutaneous layers.

Epidermis corolla ( rice. 3 - 7 ) consists of the producing and stratum corneum. The stratum corneum is very thick, has a tubular structure, and is the strongest in the hoof. It is almost impermeable to water. The tubular horn descends towards the sole of the hoof, forming middle layer walls of the horn shoe ( rice. 3 - 9 ) . On inner surface The tubular horn of the corolla has a depression - the coronal groove, to which the coronal ridge corresponds on the basis of the skin.

Skin base ( rice. 3 - 5 ) has papillary and reticular layers. The papillae in this part of the hoof, long (4-5 mm), are lowered down, as a result of which the tubular horn of the corolla moves down.

Subcutaneous layer ( rice. 3 - 4 ) well developed and, together with the base of the skin of the corolla, forms a coronal ridge.

Hoof wall– paries ungulae ( rice. 3 - C ) is the most massive part of the hoof. It makes up the front and lateral surface hoof, partially extends onto its plantar surface. On the wall of the hoof there is an unpaired toe, paired lateral, heel (turn) parts. ( rice. 4 - 5 ) and heel angles ( rice. 4 - 2 ) .

The hoof wall consists of the epidermis and base of the skin; there is no subcutaneous layer.

Epidermis consists of the producing and stratum corneum. The horn of the hoof wall has the shape of leaves white - leaf horn –stratum lamellatum ( rice. 3 - 10 ) . Its terminal section, extending onto the sole of the hoof, together with the inner layer of tubular horn, forms the white line of the hoof. ( rice. 3 - 12 ) . By its location, they determine where, when shoeing an animal, the nails must be driven in so that they go into the tubular horn (lateral to the white line), and not into the base of the skin.

The horn of the hoof wall generally has three layers. 1) leaf horn (produced by the epidermis of the hoof wall) – deep layer, 2) tubular horn (produced by the epidermis of the corolla) - the middle layer, 3) glaze (produced by the epidermis of the border) - the outer layer.

Skin base ( rice. 3 - 11 ) consists of papillary and reticular layers. The papillae are shaped like thin plates, leaflets, which is why this layer is also called the leaflet layer. The leaves run in the direction from the corolla edge to the plantar edge of the hoof wall, i.e. from top to bottom. Between the leaves of the base of the skin of the wall, the horny leaves of the epidermis move in the same direction. The reticular layer of the base of the skin of the wall, due to the absence of the subcutaneous layer, fuses directly with the periosteum of the coffin bone.

Hoof sole– solea ungulae ( rice. 3-D ) - this is the part of the hoof with which the animal rests on the soil. Anatomically, it distinguishes the body of the hoof sole ( rice. 4 – 8a ) and plantar branches ( rice. 4 – 8b ) . The digital crumb is wedged between the plantar branches and is separated from them and the turning parts of the hoof wall by lateral grooves. ( rice. 4 - 6 ) .

The sole of the hoof consists of the epidermis and the base of the skin. ( rice. 3 - 14 ) , the subcutaneous layer is absent. Epidermis produces a thick sole horn ( rice. 3 - 13 ) . On the surface it takes on the appearance of a crumbly mass, which gradually disappears.

The horny layers of all parts of the hoof and digital crumb make up horn shoe . The remaining parts of the epidermis, as well as the bases of the skin and subcutaneous layer of the hoof and digital pulp are not included in the horn shoe.

The hooves of cattle and pigs are similar to the hooves of a horse, divided in half, do not have turning parts, and their soles are weakly expressed.

Rice. 4. Plantar surface of the hoof:

1 – stratum corneum of the crumb cushion; 2 – heel angle; 3 – arrow leg;

4 – interpeduncular groove of the arrow; 5 – bar (calcaneal) wall; 6 – lateral groove of the arrow; 7 – tip of the arrow; 8 – stratum corneum of the sole of the hoof, 8a – body and 8b – branch of the hoof sole; 9 – white line of the hoof; 10 – plantar edge of the hoof wall.

Claw

Claw – unguicula, subdivided into the claw ridge with the claw groove, the corolla, the claw wall and the claw sole. All parts of the claw are built from the epidermis and the base of the skin; the subcutaneous layer is developed only in the area of the claw ridge.

Claw roller- an elevated strip of transition from the dorsal portion of the skin of the finger to the claw. The epidermis and the base of its skin form the claw groove, plunging into a similar groove of the third phalanx. The horny capsule of the claw begins in the claw groove.

Corolla and claw wall located on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the claw.

Claw sole in the form of a narrow strip it forms the distal part of the claw.

Crumbs

Crumbs – pulvini, tori – dense, elastic thickenings of the skin on the palmar (plantar) side of the paw. They serve as a device for resting on the ground and as an organ of touch. The crumbs are built from the epidermis, the base of the skin and the subcutaneous layer.

Epidermis of the crumb - a thick hairless layer with a soft stratum corneum, has many excretory ducts of sweat glands.

Crumb skin base – has high papillae, is well innervated and supplied with blood.

Subcutaneous layer - It is highly developed and somewhat unique: between the coarse bundles of collagen and elastic fibers there are pads of adipose tissue. The result is an elastic and easy-to-support pillow, which serves as the main part of the crumb.

Depending on the location, the crumbs are:

1. carpals, tarsals,

2. metacarpals, metatarsals,

3. finger crumbs.

Carpal crumbs Only dogs and horses have them. In a dog they are located in the area of the accessory carpal bone, in a horse - on medial surface the distal end of the forearm and are called chestnuts.

Tarsal crumbs(chestnuts) are found only in the horse and are located on the medial surface of the distal end of the tarsus.

Metacarpal (metatarsal) crumbs are found in dogs and horses. They are located on the palmar (plantar) surface of the joint area of the 1st phalanx. In a horse, these crumbs are called spurs.

Finger crumbs are present in all animals and are located on each finger. In ungulates, these crumbs are highly developed and covered with a horny tip of the finger.

Horse finger crumb– pulvinus digitalis – has the shape of a triangle forked at the base, wedging its apex into the sole of the hoof. His rear end amounts to pillow of crumb ( rice. 5 - 1 ) , and the sharp front part is crumb arrow. The sharp end of the arrow is called the apex of the arrow ( rice. 4 - 7 ) . The ridges protruding from the plantar surface are called frog legs ( rice. 4 - 3 ) , and the depression between them is the interpeduncular groove ( rice. 4 - 4 ) .

From the subcutaneous layer of this crumb the horse develops a pair soft cartilages– cartilago pulvini, covering the sides of the digital crumb, with which they form an original elastic device participating in the shock-absorbing mechanism of the hoof. These cartilages are connected by ligaments to the II and I phalanges and the navicular bone. The cartilages are shaped like a quadrangular plate, which is adjacent to the base of the skin of the lateral and heel sections of the hoof wall.

Horns – cornu- hollow horny formations that developed on the horny processes of the frontal bones of large and small cattle. The horn is divided into root, body and apex. The horn consists of two layers - the epidermis and the base of the skin; the subcutaneous layer is absent.

Epidermis The horn has the same layers as the epidermis of the hoof. Its producing layer produces a very durable tubular horn.

Leather base The horn has papillary and reticular layers. The latter fuses with the periosteum of the horny processes of the frontal bones.