Horses are able to interconvert fats, carbohydrates and even amino acids (the building blocks of protein) to some extent. They can increase active absorption of minerals when they have a need, and are equipped with mechanisms to excrete excess minerals except iron. However, there are certain amino acids and fatty acids they cannot manufacture. These are termed “essential” because it is essentia...

Ruminants live in various parts of land. Similar cloven hooves assist ruminants in adapting to different ground environment during locomotion. This paper analyzes the general terrain adaptability of the feet of ruminants using kinematics of the equivalent mechanism model based on screw theory. Cloven hooves could adjust attitude by changing relative positions between two digits in swing phase. ...

Steinert [Biochem. J. (1975) 149, 39-48] reported that the alpha-keratin polypeptides (the subunits of the intracellular keratin filaments) of bovine hoof and snout epidermis are the same. We now demonstrate that this is not so: in addition to the seven polypeptides previously identified in hoof epidermis, snout epidermis also contains at least three other polypeptides of higher molecular weigh...

onychomycosis constitutes the most common fungal infection of nail affecting finger and toe nails as well. antifungals found to be effective in the treatment of onychomycosis. however, transport of oral antifungal agents exhibits more toxicity and requires longer treatment period. medicated nail lacquers proved to cause lesser toxicity and required shorter treatment period. it provides not only...

In this work a framework based on histogram of orientation optical flow (HOOF) and local binary pattern from three orthogonal planes (LBP_TOP) is proposed for recognizing dynamic hand gestures. HOOF algorithm extracts shape motion information gestures image sequences descriptor LBP extended to create an efficient descriptor. These features are invariant scale, translation, illumination directio...

Although there is a general understanding that there is a link between poor cow comfort and lameness, the mechanisms by which one leads to the other are poorly understood. The objective of this article is to review the environmental impacts on hoof health in the dairy cow, describing the potential interactions between cow comfort and the trigger factors which ensure cows ‘get lame’ and the subs...

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of the genetic group of the Holstein-Friesian (HF) and pasture-based feeding system (3 × 2 factorial arrangement) on locomotion score (six gait aspects scored from one to five), clinical lameness and hoof disorders within a seasonal calving milk production system. The three genetic groups compared had an average Economic Breeding Index (E...

Over the past 20 yr, extensive research efforts as well as clinical experience has greatly increased our knowledge base of equine laminitis. Our present understanding of the disease is that there is failure of the lamellar attachment between the distal phalanx and hoof wall. This, in turn, initiates a sequence of events ranging from no permanent structural damage to loss of the hoof capsule. Af...