Hoof Care For Your Horses

by: Heather Smith Thomas
The horse's leg below the fetlock joint is similar to the human finger; the long pastern bone, short pastern bone, and coffin bone are comparable to the three segments of a human finger. The hoof wall is made of the same material as our fingernails--keratin (a type of protein that forms hair, skin, and horny tissue). This specialized, tough shell protects the bones, nerves, blood vessels, and ...