Shape-function modelling of horse hoof

Hoof injury is a threat to the modern sports horse and to the racing horse industry. The shape of the hoof wall is believed to be important in achieving optimal force distribution (i.e. balance) within the foot. The external shape of the hoof wall is often altered by farriers. Many authors have reported that high-risk injuries are related to the external hoof shape, but, due to a poor understanding of the effects of external shape variations on biomechanical performance, it is not yet clear how hoof external shape is related to injury or balance. This thesis does not consider injury but how hoof shape may affect strain and displacement distribution in the hoof wall. This thesis presents a body of work to address two major aims: to develop validated engineering tools and test protocols for capturing and characterization of the shape of the hoof wall; and to investigate how variation in shape factors of the hoof wall affect its biomechanical functions by finite element (FE) simulation. [Continues.]