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22/10/2024
Ever wondered why hooves get growth rings, flare, tall heels or long toes?
It’s all down to the rate the hoof is growing. Pressure stimulates growth. Hooves get pressure from the outside, like the ground, etc, but I want to talk about internal pressure…
Internal pressure is less obvious and most commonly caused by inflammation.
Think of it like swelling in the hoof. Because the hoof capsule can’t expand like the rest of the skin can, any sort of inflammation can cause pressure. This is also why strong hooved breeds are also known as laminitis prone. The chunkier the hoof the less able it is to stretch to accommodate inflammation.
With the right factors in place, inflammation results in the hoof growing faster. Depending on the amount and location of the pressure this can cause growth rings and/or flare or faster growth at the heels, or toe.
That uneven pressure causing uneven growth can cause the growth rings to be wavy.
Fast growth sounds great, but it’s actually less healthy, with poor inter connective horn so you get cracks and chips, and increased chance of hoof infection.