Horse Hoof Diseases

A horse's hooves are one of the most important parts of a horse's anatomy. Without a well-structured and healthy hoof, a horse can become lame or limited in the work he can do, and that's not usually a good thing for the owner. Read on to find out what you can do and what you can't if your horse has a hoof disease.

Anatomy of a Horse Hoof

At first, a horse's hoof seems to be a single piece, but in reality, it's divisible into three parts--the wall, the sole and the frog. The wall of the hoof is the front of the hoof. The sole is the thick plate of horn that forms the floor of the hoof, and the frog is the triangular cushion of skin at the bottom of the hoof.

Brittle Hoof

Brittle foot occurs when the hoof of a horse is abnormally dry. Symptoms include a stone-hard hoof and a fading in the natural polish of the external hoof. Brittle foot can lead to an increased likelihood of fractures, especially while shoeing. The hoof disease is mainly hereditary with a higher appearance in cobby breeds, like Welsh ponies.

Clubbed Foot

Club foot is a hereditary horse hoof disease that occurs when the front of the horse's hoof is taller than the back. Animals with club foot are not suitable for riding. However, they make fine work horses.

Ringed or Ribbed Hoof

When the wall of the hoof is marked by a series of obvious ridges, a horse has ringed or ribbed foot. Also commonly called grass rings, the ridges are most often caused by a variation of wet and dry land in the horse's pasture.

Spongy Hoof

Spongy hoof is the opposite of brittle hoof and occurs when a horse's hoof is too soft. The hoof appears greasy, and the condition is most common in horses raised in marshy districts. Horses with spongy hoof are not fit for long journeys.