Horse Hooves
The hard exterior of horse hooves is made of keratin, which is the same substance that our fingernails are made out of. The horse cannot feel this part of the hoof, but the keratin is hard and provides an excellent barrier to protect the inner hoof structures. The frog, that squishy triangle feature in the bottom of your horse’s foot, acts to absorb shock. The flexible frog makes contact with the ground every time that your horse takes a step. By doing this, it absorbs some of the impact, it reduces the amount of shock that the bones and joints of your horse’s legs need to absorb. Did you know that the hoof actually does a lot more than serve as a surface for your horse to stand on? The hoof gives your horse traction, supports his weight, absorbs the shock of each step, and pumps blood up through your horse’s legs. Pretty interesting, right?
