Hoof Matters: Developing an Athletic Thoroughbred Hoof

Conformation of the hooves and distal limbs of foals and factors influencing their morphological development have not been reported in detail for the Thoroughbred breed. In this paper we explore morphogenesis of the equine distal limb in Thoroughbred foals with emphasis on adaptations in response to...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animals (Basel) 2022-11, Vol.12 (22), p.3119
Main Authors: Hobbs, Sarah Jane, Curtis, Simon, Martin, Jaime, Sinclair, Jonathan, Clayton, Hilary M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Asymmetry
Careers
Conformation
Data collection
Fetuses
foal
Fracture toughness
Hoof
hoof angle
hoof deformation
hoof development
hoof growth
Horns
Horses
Juveniles
Limbs
Morphogenesis
Thickness
Tubules
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Conformation of the hooves and distal limbs of foals and factors influencing their morphological development have not been reported in detail for the Thoroughbred breed. In this paper we explore morphogenesis of the equine distal limb in Thoroughbred foals with emphasis on adaptations in response to weight bearing early in life that prepare the foal for an athletic career. Novel data from four studies are presented chronologically during key time periods to illustrate specific aspects of distal limb growth and adaptation. Dorsal epidermal thickness increased from 2.84 ± 0.41 mm in utero to 4.04 ± 1.10 mm by 4 months of age. The increase in thickness was accompanied by decreased tubular density, increased inter-tubular material, and an increase in number and size of tubules at the quarters, which provided a malleable hoof capsule to allow for skeletal growth. Between 4−6 months of age, the hoof widens, and higher loading on the medial side (>60%) vs. the lateral side (
ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615
DOI:10.3390/ani12223119