horses Frog?

Question

what is the purpose of a horse's frog? and why is it sensitive?

Answer 1

The frog helps the blood circulate in the foot. The cleft of the frog runs down the middle of the frog and aids in flexion and grip. The bars of the foot run on either side of the frog and they provide stable suspension for the walls and frog as the horse’s foot impacts the ground.
This is why its said to be careful when you pick a horse's hoof out.

Hope this helps a little bit.

Answer 2

Not every structure has an implicit "purpose," so I'll try to answer why it's there. Horses have evolved from three-toed animals, and they are essentially walking on a very enlongated single digit. The chestnuts on the inside of the front legs are actually rudimentary fingernails, as is the hoof. I would compare the frog to a human fingernail's quick. It is vascularized and innervated, which explains why it's sensitive when you're picking a horse's foot.

Answer 3

The frog is lower than the rest of the foof and therefore contacts the ground first. It does contain lots of blood vessels. When the weight of the horse pushes down on the frog as it hits the ground, the frog is compressed; this helps push blood back up those long legs. Withoout that mechanism, horses would need much higher blood pressure to get blood to return to the heart.