HORSE, DONKEY GOAT – MUSINGS
by Cindy Sullivan
It is interesting to note how the variation in hoof form between horse, donkey and goat correspond to their
respective “strata” in the natural environment (wild).
Horses are most often on the plains, in the grasslands at the foothills of mountainous areas. Donkeys are
frequently higher up, on steeper and sparser terrain, and goats are higher still, often seen jumping from
rocky out cropping to rocky outcropping with amazing agility and surefootedness.
Look at the differences in the pictures above and think about this….
Horses – frog is contained almost completely within the horn of the walls, bars and heels, i.e. the “toenail”
part of the hoof. They have some variation on how much frog protrudes behind the buttresses depending
upon the terrain the horse lives on. But even in the most extreme terrain of the great basin wild horses, the
bulk of the frog is within the ring of horn.
Donkeys – The widest part of the frog is behind the buttresses of horn. The “toenail” part sits more in front
of the frog.
Goat – the “toenail” is largely out of play here….nearly all of the bearing surface is pad (frog).
Why? Here’s what I think.
The frog provides cushion and grip (traction) on hard surfaces. It is one of the biggest factors for traction
and proprioception on difficult/treacherous surfaces. Since the horse is mostly on the plains, he has less use
for the large rock gripping pad surface of a goat. Donkeys are in between so they need more “grip” than the
horse, but less than the goat.
We all know that donkeys (and donkey-footed mules) are more surefooted than horses. Take a trail ride on
steep, narrow trails winding in and out of the Grand Canyon and you’ll WANT a sure-footed mule over a
horse!! Did you know that there is actually a federal regulation that prohibits the use of anything BUT mules
for commercial trips into the Grand Canyon?
While this little musing of mine is interesting, it does have a practical purpose.
Explaining the different biome strata in nature between horses and donkeys (and goats), is an excellent leadin to a discussion with a customer about why it is detrimental to donkeys if people feed them the same way
they feed horses. The most frequently foundered category of equid that I see are donkeys. Why? Because
they are designed to be in a strata or “layer” of nature where food is far sparser than down in the grasslands
where horses are found. As such, they have a digestive system adapted such that they are able to extract
more nutrients from sticks than many horses can from green grass. It follows then that if you put donkeys in
grass pastures and feed them grain on top of it, trouble is inevitable.
Also, you will almost certainly be trimming donkeys at some point in your business and very likely you will
at various times be asked to trim a goat or two (or ten!). Knowing what you are looking for or at, it going to
help keep you out of trouble. Landmarks are not always as clearly visible as in the pictures above, especially
with goats where the very thin hoof wall may have grown long and folded over the pad.
A parting note: People are always asking me “Can you trim a….(insert animal)..” Sometimes it’s a cow, an
emu, even once it was a chicken with freaky long and twisted toenails making it hard for her to walk.
My first comment back is. “Can you hold it?” People just don’t think about that part. I tell them that I can
trim pretty much anything that they can hold still for it to be trimmed!!