hoof colours

[fataldream]

lol i think this is going to be the stupidist thread ever known on NR. but my pony reggie, have 2 black hoofs and at the back feet are 3/4 black and the rest white. what does this measn? is it unhealthy or normal?

[KarinUS]

Completely normal and contrary to popular belief not an indication of hoof quality at all. :)

[Mehitabel]

the hoof colour is determined by the colour of the leg immediately above it - they have white hooves on white legs and dark hooves on coloured legs. stripy hooves are when they have a white sock with the black ermine marks on it.

it doesn't show brilliantly on his dusty foot here, but copper's white sock leg has a lighter hoof with a dark stripe at the back under the black spot.
http://historicalfact.com/~es/pictures/24sept/chop6.jpg

[Pudding]

Doesn't matter......my girl has one pink and one black on front and same alternate on back......all as healthy as each other

X

[Vicki&Milo]

This comes from an old wives tale about white hooves being softer. There's still some people that think there's some truth in it, but I'm sure that even if there is they will be fine provided they are properly looked after.
Vicki xx

[chev]

There's no truth in the old adage that white horn is weaker than dark at all. If it were true, then horses with one white foot would haev one foot that wore away faster than the rest - or horses with stripey feet would have really odd patterns of wear! It just depends on what part of the coronet is pigmented, as Mehitabel explained.

Stripey feet are a feature of some colours or breeds (Appaloosas, for example) and white feet can be a boon because bruising shows up on white horn and not dark - makes spotting potential injuries a lot easier! That has probably also contributed to the idea that white feet are weaker - it's not so at all, it's just that the pigment in dark hooves hides bruising.