Horses have been widely used as a means of traction since ancient times, without regard to the damage hoofs are subjected, mainly through attrition, and by the impact forces acting at the time of traction. For the measurement of the hoofs we used a millimetric caliper, and to determine the angle of the parietal face with the ground, a 180º protractor. The following parameters were measured: length, width, height of the dorsal surface of the parietal face, width of the horn torus, height of the medial and lateral horn torus, the length and width of the corneal nail caps. We used 181 animals, employed in traction activity in the city of Petrolina (PE), Brazil. There were 56 horses, 97 donkeys and 28 mules, among males and females with different body weights and different ages. The results were tabulated and they can be used to determine the anatomical pattern of these animals in that region. It was possible to verify the practices to which the animals are subjected, like trimming, shoeing and excess load, which can result in poor load distribution on the limbs and nail capsule, generating locomotor disorders. We observed the medial-lateral imbalance of nail capsule, since the medial corneal torus was greater than the lateral one, triggering changes in poise and damaging dynamic and orthostatic positions, which could be solved by trimming and shoeing practices, reducing diseases of the locomotor apparatus.
equidae of traction; podal biometrics; ungula