PRACTICAL EQUINE HOOF WALL BIOCHEMISTRY

As practitioners begin to rethink their approach to hoof problems in l ight of new developments regarding the understanding of this process, factors to be considered include the relative abundance of a critical component, its availability at a given location, and the viability of biochemical pathways that control its utilization by the cell. The pro cesses of keratinization (the synthesis and organization of keratin mo lecules into intermediate filaments) are explored, as well as the prod uction and cross-linking of cell envelope proteins and the formation o f intercellular lipid matrix. A knowledge of the basic biochemistry of hoof wall growth is required to understand the pathogenicity of the a bnormally growing, weak hoof wall. A better understanding of the entir e process will ultimately allow for risk assessments concerning athlet ic injury to the hoof wall and provide a basis for better diagnostic a nd therapeutic modalities for hoof pathologies.