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What is a Hoof?
A hoof is a robust yet flexible covering that shields the toes of ungulate mammals. Ungulates walk on their toe tips, so hooves offer a sturdy, desensitized surface for weight-bearing. In animals like horses and antelopes, hooves facilitate swift running, providing both speed and endurance. Some animals also use their sharp hooves for defense.
Hooves share an evolutionary origin with the nails and claws of other mammals. All are made of keratin, a fibrous protein, and grow from living cells at the base, continuing to grow throughout the animal’s life. Wear controls their length.
Parts of a Hoof
The hoof comprises two parts. The unguis is the broad, hard, upper portion that completely surrounds the toe’s end, extending down to form a rim. The subunguis, a softer plate, covers the toe’s bottom and is well-developed in hoofed animals, forming a tough pad. Horseshoes are nailed to the unguis to protect the hooves from breaking and splitting.
Ungulates
Ungulates are mammals with hooves, divided into two main groups: even-toed (artiodactyls) and odd-toed (perissodactyls). Artiodactyls have an even number of toes on each foot, including pigs, cattle, deer, and sheep. Two-toed ungulates are often called cloven-hoofed because each toe is covered by a separate hoof. Perissodactyls have an odd number of toes on their hind feet. Horses have a single solid hoof on each foot and walk on the tips of single digits. Rhinoceroses have three toes on each foot, each covered by a separate hoof.
Hoof Diseases
Various diseases and conditions can affect the hoof. Hoof-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease affecting even-toed mammals, characterized by painful blisters on the mouth and around the hoof. Horses are generally resistant to this infection.
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