Cowdemy HoofFIG. 06Foundation10 min

Map the hoof

Normal anatomy first: claws, capsule, sole zones, corium, digital cushion, and how horn grows and wears.

Numbers

Common claw
Hind lateral
Outside hind claws take more load in cattle. That is why sole ulcers cluster there — not because that claw is weaker in the abstract.
Merck Veterinary Manual

Measure	Value	Spread · alarm	Why it matters
Common clawMerck Veterinary Manual	Hind lateral		Outside hind claws take more load in cattle. That is why sole ulcers cluster there — not because that claw is weaker in the abstract.

Sources

Overview of Lameness in Cattle — Merck Veterinary Manual
ICAR Claw Health Atlas — ICAR
Non-infectious claw horn lesions in cows — AHDB Knowledge Library

Plate credit

System figures are educational plates drawn from public-domain veterinary teaching anatomy (udder, claw, uterus, and housing relationships). They are not scanned specimens. Educational only.

Not a veterinary diagnosis, prescription, or ration formula.