What is the joint within the hoof?

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Multiple Choice

What is the joint within the hoof?

Inside the hoof sits the coffin joint, the distal interphalangeal joint. It’s the articulation between the middle phalanx (P2) and the distal phalanx (P3, the coffin bone), and it lies completely within the hoof capsule. This is the joint that flexes and bears weight as the horse steps, directly associated with the toe area of the hoof. The other joints are higher up or in the leg: the pastern joint is between the proximal and middle phalanges, the fetlock is above that between the cannon bone and the proximal phalanx, and the hock is a hind-leg joint well away from the hoof.

Inside the hoof sits the coffin joint, the distal interphalangeal joint. It’s the articulation between the middle phalanx (P2) and the distal phalanx (P3, the coffin bone), and it lies completely within the hoof capsule. This is the joint that flexes and bears weight as the horse steps, directly associated with the toe area of the hoof. The other joints are higher up or in the leg: the pastern joint is between the proximal and middle phalanges, the fetlock is above that between the cannon bone and the proximal phalanx, and the hock is a hind-leg joint well away from the hoof.

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