The Functioning of the Frog and the Digital Cushion

With kind permission of Easycare Trelawne Equine’s blog takes a look at the functioning of the frog and the digital cushion in our latest blog. The frog and digital cushion are often argued to be the most essential part of the horse hoof. The frog horn that is visible to the eye is made up of squamous epithelial tissue that has grown distally from the frog corium. The frog corium is made up of soft tissue that originates below the digital cushion. With every footfall, the frog and digital cushion work together. At ground impact, the frog accepts shock and expands to dissipate force to the lower limb. Simultaneously, the proprioceptors of the heel region judge terrain and ground condition and react accordingly within milliseconds. As pressure is applied to the frog, the digital cushion is compressed under the short pastern, navicular, and coffin bone. The vascular cartilage of the cushion is compacted, forcing blood flow proximally back up the limb of the horse. When the hoof returns to stride, the cartilage is re-supplied by blood flow. The digital cushion has a responsibility of providing angle to the coffin bone. A healthy, firm cushion provides a pedal angle range of 1 to 6 degrees but this may vary depending on veterinarian or hoof care practitioner preference. A digital cushion that is neglected or has not been allowed to develop properly is fatty and soft. Often times, with an underdeveloped cushion the pedal bone will respond by “falling” in the hoof capsule; losing its positive angle and accepting a negative angle. Several causes exist for debilitation of a digital cushion including poor diet and lack of exercise. Loading the hoof wall, such as applying standard metal shoes, hinders the ability of the frog to make contact with ground surface. It can be challenging to maintain a robust frog and digital cushion when inadequate interaction between terrain and heel occurs. However, removing shoes from a horse that has been shod for years and has possibly acquired meager frogs and cushions can be a daunting undertaking. The solution in this case would be to use hoof boots to protect the comfort of the equine during a transition period and throughout a developmental stage, allowing the equine’s hoof condition to improve without the burden of shoeing but without incurring other associated hoof problems until the horse is able to be fully barefoot optimising the functioning of the frog and the digital cushion. A range of hoofboots from the Easycare range are available through Trelawne Equine and their distributors. To find out more about the hoofboots available visit the website www.trelawneequine.co.uk Reproduced from the original post by Easycare http://www.easycareinc.com