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Analyses and comparison of the moisture content across the Stratum medium of donkey and horse hoof horn

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

L. Hopegood ,
S Collins  and
J D Reilly
L. Hopegood
Affiliation:
Nottingham Trent University, School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Brackenhurst, Southwell, Notts, NG25 OQF, UK, Email: lyn.hopegood@ntu.ac.uk. Formerly De Montfort University, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, UK
S Collins
Affiliation:
Formerly De Montfort University, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, UK
J D Reilly
Affiliation:
Formerly De Montfort University, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, UK
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Extract

The moisture content of horse hoof horn is important as it affects its function, quality and mechanical properties. It is believed for horse hoof horn that there is an inverse relationship between the amount of water present and stiffness, or the ability of hoof horn to resist deformation. The majority of studies, until the work of Leach (1980) and Douglas et al. (1996) concentrated on quantitative values for moisture content for the full hoof wall depth (HWD) for horse hoof horn. Douglas et al. (1996) divided the hoof wall into inner and outer wall samples and showed a moisture content of 28% for the outer wall and 35% for the inner wall, confirming a dorsopalmar increase in moisture content. Whether a similar gradient exists for donkey hoof horn is not known. The existence of such a dorso-palmar moisture gradient may have a profound effect on the mechanical properties of the hoof horn and would further contribute towards the understanding of how moisture content affects the function of the hoof.

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Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 35: Applying Equine Science: Research into Business , 2006 , pp. 283 - 286
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 2006

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References

Douglas, J.E., Mittal, C., Thomason, J.J., and Jofriet, J.C. (1996) The modulus of elasticity of equine hoof wall - implications for the mechanical function of the hoof. Journal of Experimental Biology, 199:8, 1829–1836.Google Scholar
Hopegood, L. (2002) Tubule density, moisture content and mechanical properties of donkey hoof horn. PhD Thesis, De Montfort University, Leicester.Google Scholar
Leach, D.H. (1980) The structure and function of equine hoof wall. PhD thesis, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.Google Scholar