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Proximal hoof cracks
Post At
11/ 5/2003 - 4:23 pm
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dBoard Archive
Name: Brigitte MalessaSubject: Proximal hoof cracks
Email: bmalessa@paonia.com
Could someone please address any experience with hoof cracks that start at the hairline ?
What causes them? How can they best be treated when shoeing if just starting? Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Thankyou so much!!
Brigitte
Email: bmalessa@paonia.com
Could someone please address any experience with hoof cracks that start at the hairline ?
What causes them? How can they best be treated when shoeing if just starting? Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Thankyou so much!!
Brigitte
Reply at
11/ 5/2003 - 4:23 pm
reply from
dBoard Archive
Name: Jack Evers
Email: eversjack@aol.com
Brigitte
In my expierience these are nearly always associated with underun heels and with either a high impact loading situation (such as a race horse) or a badly out of balance foot that is landing heavily on one heel. The heel wall folds under compressing the internal structures of the foot and the weak point in the wall (the coronary band) blows out.
To fix the situation you need to trim the heels to solid undistorted horn, even if it means wedge pads, and transfer some of the load elsewhere with proper balance trimming, frog pressure pads, sole support material, bar shoes or some combination that seems suitable to the situation.
Good luck.
Jack
Email: eversjack@aol.com
Brigitte
In my expierience these are nearly always associated with underun heels and with either a high impact loading situation (such as a race horse) or a badly out of balance foot that is landing heavily on one heel. The heel wall folds under compressing the internal structures of the foot and the weak point in the wall (the coronary band) blows out.
To fix the situation you need to trim the heels to solid undistorted horn, even if it means wedge pads, and transfer some of the load elsewhere with proper balance trimming, frog pressure pads, sole support material, bar shoes or some combination that seems suitable to the situation.
Good luck.
Jack
Reply at
11/ 5/2003 - 4:23 pm
reply from
dBoard Archive
Name: Nate Allen
Email: natea@mesalands.edu
Brigitte,
Jack made several good points about the proximal hoof cracks. Additionally, I have found many off the horses in our area develop these vertical hair line cracks in the quarters even when the heels are pretty "normal."
I have tried several approaches to dealing with these cracks, but I have only had success when the hoof became balanced again, as Jack pointed out. This may mean the hoof may need to be floated or relieved and left to be not in contact with the shoe (in line with the tubules from where the crack is). Usually the hoof will be pushed up or what some farriers refer to as "jammed up" to the point where finally something has to give and the vertical crack at the hair line develops. In most cases that I have seen with hairline quarter cracks, the hairline with be very jammed up in the area.
The floating of the hoof wall in line the the tubules where the crack is located at the ground surface (usually about a rasp's width) will allow the hoof to settle down and the crack to heal. As Jack pointed out, the hoof wall made need additional support while healing the crack in terms of a bar shoe or heart bar shoe.
Nate Allen, CJF
Mesalands Community College
Tucumcari, NM
Email: natea@mesalands.edu
Brigitte,
Jack made several good points about the proximal hoof cracks. Additionally, I have found many off the horses in our area develop these vertical hair line cracks in the quarters even when the heels are pretty "normal."
I have tried several approaches to dealing with these cracks, but I have only had success when the hoof became balanced again, as Jack pointed out. This may mean the hoof may need to be floated or relieved and left to be not in contact with the shoe (in line with the tubules from where the crack is). Usually the hoof will be pushed up or what some farriers refer to as "jammed up" to the point where finally something has to give and the vertical crack at the hair line develops. In most cases that I have seen with hairline quarter cracks, the hairline with be very jammed up in the area.
The floating of the hoof wall in line the the tubules where the crack is located at the ground surface (usually about a rasp's width) will allow the hoof to settle down and the crack to heal. As Jack pointed out, the hoof wall made need additional support while healing the crack in terms of a bar shoe or heart bar shoe.
Nate Allen, CJF
Mesalands Community College
Tucumcari, NM
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