ABSTRACT
The adage "no foot, no horse" points out the importance of a horse's foot. The foot is contact point for the horse and the ground. The foot and its various components are important weight-bearing, and shock-absorbing mechanisms of the horse. The structure of the hoof includes three main parts—the horny wall, the horny sole, and the frog. The horny sole grows out from the live fleshy sole and forms the bottom of the foot. The horny wall and sole are tough protective surfaces that cover the sensitive inner tissue with its complex series of blood vessels and nerves. Horses should be shod when they are to be used on hard surfaces or in other situations that will damage the feet. Also, shoes may be used to correct hoof structure or growth, to protect the hoof from abnormalities, and to make changes in gaits and action.
