Clara Sargentini, Roberto Tocci, Antonio Pezzati, Doria Benvenuti, Andrea Martini
In this work the qualitative characteristics of Anglo–Arabian and Maremmano horses hooves were considered. All hooves were healthy and well shaped. Twenty-nine hoof samples were taken during the hoof trimming. The Maremmano hoof was most large and wide (crown and plantar face circumferences respectively of cm 41.0±0.5 and 46.8±0.9, and the ratio between regions was 0.87±0.01), while the AngloArabian hoof was harder (H 112.27±6.00 and H 119.44±2.75 in sole and in wall respectively). The hoof of Anglo-Arabian horses was upright with concave sole, while the Maremmano hoof that derives from a swampy area had a large and flat hoof.The Anglo-Arabian hoof tended to cumulate ashes, microelements and extraneous elements on wall, while that of Maremmano tended to cumulate these elements uniformly between sole and wall. The PCA showed 9 significant factors (ratio of variance = 93.52), of which 6 explained 79.28% of the cumulative variance. The PC1, explaining 24.7% of the total, identified microelements and extraneous elements. These minerals discriminated between breeds and between hoof regions.
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