• The Bulbs of Heel: This is the soft, fleshy area where the hoof meets the leg.
• Frog: A triagle-shaped squishy area in the hoof. It is designed to absorb shock.
• Sulcus of Frog: A furrow in the frog.
• Bars: A ridge in the hoof.
• Apex of Frog: This is the pointy tip of the frog.
• White Line: A softer area of white hoof that runs along the wall.
• Hoof Sole: The flat part of the hoof.
• Hoof Wall: The hard outer part of the hoof.
• Heel: The back part of the hoof.
• Quarter: The middle part of the hoof.
• Toe: The tip of the hoof.

Did you know?

Hooves can be black, white, or striped! Horses with dark legs tend to have black hooves, but horses with white markings have white hooves! Some horses with white on the leg will have hooves that are half-and-half... and some horses, including many Appaloosas, just have stripes! There are myths about horse hoof color- some people think black hooves are harder, but that's not true-- the color doesn't have anything to do with hardness!

Horses are shod to keep their hooves safe. Hooves are trimmed and filed, and metal shoes are nailed to the dead part of the hoof (just like your fingernail, there is no feeling!). This keeps the hoof from cracking or getting bruised on the bottom.

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