Quarter crack prognosis

The idea of extending the shoeing period was to allow time for the quarter cracks to heal and the hoof to gain secure stability. The horse returned at the agreed shoeing appointment, there was a noticeable improvement in soundness and stride length both in a straight line and on a circle.

She exhibited a much improved and free stride. The owner reported that she had been sound and had returned back to full work, with no bleeding from the cracks. The feet had grown 15 mm during this time but were growing at a better orientated angle than before. She was walked in a straight line and a slight heel first landing was observed. She was then walked and trotted in a circle on both reins. No lameness was observed.

I re-packed the front feet with impression material and once this had set up, I re-shod her using the same shoes and pads that I had removed. Once I had finished off the feet, I walked her in a straight line and a slight heel first landing was observed. She was then trotted on a circle on both reins and no lameness was observed. She was maintained on a six week re-shoeing schedule until the quarter cracks had grown out.

The cracks did not bleed again and grew out to reveal a sound function hoof capsule. This same horse remained sound, with no re-occurrence of the cracks and competing successfully until April , when she returned to my practice. She was extremely lame on both front limbs, shifting her weight onto the hind limbs. She stood with her front limbs out in front of her. I removed her front shoes and carefully rasped a slight rocker at the toe of both front feet.

Her veterinary surgeon called and took lateral radiographs. The feet had a dorsal wall marker placed at the junction of the coronary band and a drawing pin placed into the tip of the frog, where the frog inserts down into the sole. A diagnosis of laminitis was made by the veterinary surgeon. This made her immediately more comfortable.

The veterinary surgeon increased her comfort by administering some pain medication. This horse has always been barefoot on its hind feet and I thought as she experienced no signs of pain in them I would leave them barefoot unless they became involved. It was decided that she was not able to travel at this time and the owner made arrangements for the horse to stay until she was more comfortable and had become more stable.

That night she was given a stable with a small concrete yard to walk around in. I filled out an EDSS work up form to start this case off and keep an accurate record of events. I have found if this is not done, it is impossible to remember small details at a later date.

To our surprise, the next day she was walking, with some effort, around the yard to try and visit with some of the other horses. The Styrofoam had crushed down, slightly more at the toe than the heels. It was decided that we should leave the blocks for another day. The following day I carefully removed the Styrofoam blocks and hoof tested both of the front feet.

I found the most painful areas to be forward of the widest part of the feet. I trimmed the crushed blocks back behind the painful areas and replaced them into the back part of the feet, behind the painful areas of the feet.

I then taped another spare styrofoam block onto the top of the crushed block I had already taped into the feet. I then made protective pads out of duck tape and taped them onto the bottom of the blocks. The idea behind this was to protect the bottom of the blocks and prevent them from wearing out. She stayed like this for the next two weeks, during which time she was visited regularly by the owner, the veterinary surgeon and me. As she improved each day, decisions were made to reduce the pain medication, until after two weeks she was walking sound without the assistance of pain medication.

A decision was made to shoe her. Folded or crooked bars tend to be weaker and more prone to cracking. Your horse can overload the toe when he moves, causing these cracks. Also, many horses with heel pain land toe first, causing extreme toe concussion—and, hence, cracking. Hoof Project Foundation head David Hood, PhD, DVM, is studying horses with a prominent crena, or notch, at the distal dorsal aspect the of the distal phalanx the lowest point on the top of the coffin bone , to determine whether a weak or absent laminar attachment from the wall to the coffin bone in this area causes toe cracks.

Quarter cracks can be the most aggravating of all hoof cracks to manage. They are usually caused by uneven foot landing, usually due to conformation defects such as carpus valgus outward deviation of the lower limb stemming from the knee, seen as knock knees or varus outward deviation of of the lower limb stemming from the knee, seen as toeing in.

They can also result from many other factors such as neglect hooves can grow too long if not trimmed regularly, causing cracks and splits , imbalance when one side of the coronary band is higher than the other , coffin bone defects e. Quarter cracks usually appear at the coronary band and grow toward the ground. These types of cracks might bleed or become infected, causing extreme pain.

Your veterinarian might need to take radiographs X rays to determine the exact cause of the crack. Radiographs can reveal foreign objects in the hoof wall, coffin bone defects, or coffin bone remodeling that could weaken the wall and create cracks. Hoof abscesses can also cause cracks.

If your horse has an abscess and the infection drains from the coronary band, a small horizontal crack called a cleft might appear at the hairline. Usually, these small clefts will grow down the hoof wall with no problems as long as they are kept clean and reasonably dry.

With the advent of the smartphone, it has become easy to snap a picture and send it to your farrier and veterinarian for them to scrutinize. However, if you notice any infection, blood, or lameness associated with the crack, call your veterinarian immediately. What can your farrier and veterinarian do to help treat the problem? The first step you and your horse health-care team will likely take in this process is to watch the horse walk and trot to determine footfall.

Recognize that you might need to institute environmental changes—such as eliminating extremely wet, dry, or filthy turnout or bedding conditions—before your vet and farrier can remedy the hoof cracks. Knowing what type of feed and supplements the horse receives will also help them determine if your horse is on the correct diet to support his hooves several studies have found that biotin supplementation, for instance, can improve hoof quality.

The next step is to repair and stabilize the hoof crack. The horse needs relief from pressure around the quarter crack, and this material is key to providing that relief. Depending on the severity of the quarter crack, there are materials to help close the cracked area. If the crack is an exposed wound, clean the area, leave it uncovered to heal, and have it treated by a hoof care professional or veterinarian. If the crack seems to be healing and is not infected, Vettec Adhere can be applied over the crack to help close the gap.

Adhere can be bonded to the hooves while the horse is standing. With proper trimming and pour-in pads for support, the horse will be able to stand evenly and bear weight comfortably. Just as humans need new shoes every so often for proper support, horses need regular foot care too. This information was contributed by Vettec Hoof Care. For more information, please visit www. Equine Rescues, Sanctuaries, and Shelters. An Alternative Approach to Colic Operations.

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