HoofPhIT Module
Automated Hoof Scoring
Measurements
(Beta)
Linear Toe Metrics
Toe Length (mm) - Length of the medial (inside) and lateral (outside) toes, measured independently, between the coronary band and the ground plane along the top edge of the toe. Optimal length will vary with age and size of the animal, but reflects a combination of hoof depth and toe growth.
Toe Angle (°) - The angle between the ground plane and the line fit along the top edge of the medial (inside) and lateral (outside) toes. The optimal angle for a cows foot is typically considered to be 45-50 degrees. Larger angles are often associated with short toes or short/upright pastern conformations. Smaller angles are often associated with long/overgrown toes or under-run heels.
Cleft Height (mm) - The vertical distance between the ground plane, and the cleft point of the hoof where the two toes join. Not a measurement that can be easily measured on a live animal, this metric can reflect depth of hoof independent of the growth/overgrowth of the claws. Optimal depth will depend on the age and size of the animal.
Toe Width-to-Height Ratio - Width of the toe is here measured from the "inside" of the hoof as the perpendicular distance between the side wall of the hoof and vertical plane that divides the two toes. This metric is only extracted if the scan reaches at least 90 degrees from the center axis of the hoof underneath the cleft where the toes meet. The metric provides a scale-free reflection of hoof volume, where <1 reflects a tall narrow toe, 1 reflects a square toe, and >1 reflects a shorter wider toe.
Claw Set Metrics
Claw Angle (°) - Angle between the two linear lines fit to the top edge of the toe. A strongly set pair of claws should have an angle near 0. Feet with splay claws will have an angle significantly >0. If one toe begins to collapse and curl around the other, this angle may become significantly negative.
Claw Gap Ratio - Distance between the midpoints of the toe line relative to the length of the toes. This number will increase with greater separation between the two claws.
Claw Curvature Metrics
Toe Curvature (mm) - Distance that the lower half of the toe is displaced towards the midline of the hoof relative to the linear path that the upper half of the hoof is projected to take to the ground. This represents the degree to which the tip of the toe is "Curled".
Toe Flare (mm) - If a straight edge were sat on the upper half of the hoof and projected to the ground, this is the distance the actual hoof wall is displaced from the axis of that toe at the bottom of the hoof. This is essentially a measure of how "flat" the hoof wall is over the toe. A positive value indicates that the point of the toe falls short of the projection of the top of the hoof, or is slightly "knubbed", which can be an indication of extra sole depth. A negative value indicates that the hoof wall is broken back or flared.