Casco vs. pezuña
In Spanish, casco and pezuña both refer to parts of an animal's anatomy, but they are used in different contexts depending on the specific type of animal. Here we will explore their meanings and usage with examples.
Casco
B2The word casco typically refers to the hard outer part of the foot of larger animals like horses.
El herrero está colocando una herradura en el casco del caballo.
(The blacksmith is placing a horseshoe on the horse's hoof.)
El casco del caballo necesita ser limpiado regularmente.
(The horse's hoof needs to be cleaned regularly.)
Vimos cómo el veterinario examinaba los cascos del animal para detectar infecciones.
(We saw how the vet was examining the animal's hooves for infections.)
Pezuña
C1Pezuña generally refers to the hoof of smaller cloven-hoofed animals such as goats or sheep.
La cabra subió la colina con sus pezuñas ágiles.
(The goat climbed the hill with its agile hooves.)
Es importante mantener las pezuñas de las ovejas bien cortadas.
(It is important to keep the sheep’s hooves well-trimmed.)
El granjero examinó las pezuñas de la vaca por si había alguna piedra incrustada.
(The farmer checked the cow's hooves for any embedded stones.)
Summary
Casco and pezuña are used to refer to different types of animal hooves. Casco is used for larger animals like horses, while pezuña is used for smaller cloven-hoofed animals like goats and sheep.