MYTH BUSTING: HOOF STRENGTH

Many people still believe that white feet are softer and of poorer quality than black feet. However, scientific studies have proved that this is not the case. White feet have exactly the same structure and strength as their black counterparts, with the only difference between the two being in terms of their pigmentation. Therefore both structures have the same moisture content, same rigidity and same degree of resistance to force on the wall. This makes sense, especially when one considers that almost all hooves become white or mostly white about halfway through the stratum medium (the middle layer of the hoof wall). However, it is true that hoof wall blemishes such as cracks and bruising show up much more easily on white than dark hooves, and this is likely to be the reason that the myth remains in existence.