What is the function of the frog?

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The frog acts as the hoof’s flexible cushion and grip. When weight is on the hoof, it compresses and works with the digital cushion to absorb shock and help push blood back up the leg. The frog’s structure, with its grooves and edges, also gives traction on different surfaces. In addition, the frog region contains scent glands that contribute to chemical signaling. It isn’t the main part protecting the coffin bone, which is more the job of the hoof wall and sole, and hoof color comes from pigment in the horn, not the frog. So the best description is cushion, traction, scent gland.