joel50•19d ago

Had a horse with a weird crack in its hoof wall last month

Last month I was working on a quarter horse in Salem, and it had a vertical crack running about two inches down from the coronet band. The owner said it just showed up overnight. I cleaned it out and used a bar shoe to take the pressure off, but I'm curious what others have done for similar cracks that aren't from the ground up. What's your go-to method for a high crack like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

sandragonzalez19d ago

Honestly, I'd be looking hard at the horse's diet when a crack starts that high. A sudden vertical split from the coronet can point to a hoof quality issue, not just an injury. I've seen it happen when they're getting too much sugar or starch in their feed. The bar shoe is smart for support, but fixing the new hoof growth is key. I'd ask what they're eating and maybe suggest a good biotin supplement along with checking the overall balance.

elizabeth_jackson18d ago

Yeah, and sometimes even the hay can be a problem if it's too rich. Getting a forage analysis done can really open your eyes.