Sand cracks, horizontal fissures, and other conditions affecting the wall of the bovine claw.

The wall of the bovine claw is created only by the dermis beneath the coronary band. Keratogenic tissues in this region are susceptible to nutritional changes or stress, which changes the characteristics of the horn produced. Horizontal grooves or fissures result that weaken the claw wall and are instrumental in generating many vertical fissures. The rate at which the claw grows can be used to calculate the date of a nutritional insult.