Supplementary dataset for equine hoof shape analysis: morphometric variables, planimetric assessment and geometric morphometric outputs associated with navicular syndrome

This dataset provides the complete supplementary material supporting the study “Navicular Syndrome in Equine is reflected in hoof shape, not size: a geometric morphometric approach.” It contains four structured components integrating traditional morphometry and geometric morphometric outputs derived from a controlled sample of equine forelimbs with and without radiographically confirmed Navicular Syndrome (NS).

The first component comprises detailed definitions of morphometric variables obtained from lateral and solar views of the hoof capsule, including angular, linear, proportional, and perimeter measurements grounded in established parameters of equine hoof conformation. The second component includes planimetric variables derived from stereological point-counting procedures, quantifying the proportional distribution of solar surface compartments (sole, frog, and paracuneal sulci) based on the Delesse principle.

The third and fourth components correspond to geometric morphometric outputs, specifically the covariance matrix and principal component (PC) scores generated after Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA) of landmark configurations. These data capture shape variation independent of size, position, and orientation, and constitute the basis for multivariate analyses including PCA, CVA, clustering, and modularity assessment.