Deciduous hoof capsule explained

In hoofed animals, the deciduous hoof capsule (Latin: Capsula ungulae decidua) is the eponychium in fetuses and newborn foals. It is a deciduous structure, which disappears as the animal grows. In equines, they are shed soon after a foal begins to stand. The shedding process can vary from dropping-off whole to the gradual wearing down of the capsule. Common names used in lay literature include "golden slippers", "fairy fingers", and "horse feathers".

References

Works cited

• Bragulla . H. . 1991 . Die hinfällige Hufkapsel (Capsula ungulae decidua) des Pferdefetus und neugeborenen Fohlens* . The deciduous hoof capsule (Capsula ungulae decidua) of the equine fetus and newborn foal . Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia . German . 20 . 1 . 66–74 . 10.1111/j.1439-0264.1991.tb00293.x . 1877762 . 221396589.
• Ginther . O.J. . 2022 . Physical Interplay between Equine Fetus and Uterus from Day 180 to End of Pregnancy . Journal of Equine Veterinary Science . 112 . 103918 . 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.103918 . 35257827 . 247266319.