The main difference between horseshoes and cattlehoes is the anatomical structure of their extremities. Horses have a single hoof, so the horseshoes take on a continuous semicircular "U" shape. In cattle, the foot is divided into two hooves, and for this reason special horseshoes called "piattine" or "pianelle" are forged, wider and flatter, covering almost the entire sole supporting the hooves. In the Mendrisiotto dialect, the slippers for cattle were called "ciape".