What is hoof

See word origin. The definition of a hoof is the hard cover on the feet of some mammals such as horses and deer, or is slang for the human foot. An example of a hoof is a horse's foot. Hoof is defined as to walk, kick or trample, or is slang for to dance.

An example of hoof is walking quickly down the street. To trample with the hooves. To dance, especially as a professional. To go on foot; walk. The horny covering on the feet of ungulate mammals. Healthy hooves should not have any cracks or rings. Cracks can make the internal structures vulnerable to potentially damaging substances, like gravel or germs. Rings on the hoof can indicate that the horse may have some additional health problems that are affecting his hooves, so your veterinarian should be consulted.

The coronary band is at the top of the hoof wall where the hairline meets the hoof. This band encircles the top of the hoof wall and is usually light in color. It is the primary growth and nutritional source for the hoof wall. Although its structure is tough, it also contains a large blood supply. Injury to the coronary band can result in damage to the hoof wall or disrupt proper hoof growth to the point where the horse may no longer be rideable.

The periople covers the soft area just below the coronary band and helps protect the hoof wall. The soft area is made up of newly formed hoof wall tissue, and the periople helps give it time to harden. The inner wall of the hoof is more pliable than the hard outer wall. The inner wall supports a multitude of leaf-like laminae, which attach the coffin bone to the inside of the hoof wall. These laminae bear much of the weight of the horse.

The sole is the underside of the hoof, but most of it does not make contact with the ground because it is a bit concave. The structure of the sole is similar to that of the hoof wall; however, the keratin found in the sole is more easily rubbed or worn down than that found in the hoof wall. The sole also helps to protect the inner workings of the hoof, and is designed to bear internal weight transferred through the border of the sole rather than weight from the ground.

The white line is the junction between the hoof wall and the sole. The tissues of the white line area contribute to sole protection and help attach the sole to the inner wall of the hoof. When the white line area becomes impaired, it allows germs to enter and separate the layers of the hoof wall.

Once this happens, it can spread throughout the hoof and make the horse lame. Time Traveler for hoof The first known use of hoof was before the 12th century See more words from the same century.

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