Are Hoof Disorders Dermatological Not Orthopaedic Challenges?

The hoof and its components can be regarded as special appendages of the skin; it is easy to view the ‘foot’ as an "orthopaedic" structure but it is much more related to the skin than to the bones. The complexity of the foot and its relationship to "lameness" has meant that many of the conditions that are characteristic of the hoof capsule, the frog and the coronary band have been belittled and remain largely misunderstood.

Various conditions caused by environment, injury, neglect or poor farriery practices may cause changes to the wall, sole, frog and/or coronary band tissues. These changes may also be related to physical, infectious, neoplastic or genetic factors. It is difficult to categorize the various conditions as they often co-exist and many have a common aetiology. The hoof capsule and solar tissues can reflect metabolic changes and changes occurring within the foot itself or can reflect metabolic and nutritional changes in the horse itself. It is therefore important even in the normal clinical examination to examine the foot closely. […]