Steve Teichman of Chester County Farrier Associates in Unionville, Pa., says that it's easy to make mistakes when attempting to patch quarter-cracks. In his business, he is frequently called in when quarter-crack repairs tried by other shoers have failed. He most frequently sees failure due to:

• Poor design that lacks function (particularly when using stitching methods).
• Un-weighting heel areas.
• Patches that create small pockets and areas that trap moisture and debris, leading to infection.
• Complicated and ineffective placement of drains.
• Drilling errors, particularly ones that damage horn along the leading edges of the crack.
• Patch shapes that fail along the leading and trailing edges of cracks.

Teichman will share a simple method he has developed for repairing quarter cracks in an upcoming issue of American Farriers Journal.

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