What is a coronet?

The word "coronet" means two things when referring to horses:

1. The top of the hoof, specifically the area from which the hoof grows. Damage to the coronet, also called the coronet band can cause serious hoof problems and lameness.

3. A white marking that forms a thin ring around the top of the hoof.

A white coronet. Image source Kersti Nebelsiek via Wikimedia Commons.