THE horse’s hoof can be imagined as a semi-flexible “thimble” attached by very firm bonds to the internal structures of the foot. These attachments – the laminae in the wall and the corium of the sole – are intimately bound to the hoof and separate from it only in extreme circumstances, for example in cases of laminitis.
But if infection gains entry through a defect in the hoof wall or sole, or if these structures are penetrated, this attachment can be partially separated, resulting in pus accumulating in the separated area. This may be under the sole, under the hoof wall, or sometimes under both.
The pus is trapped and cannot escape, and as the hoof is
