Toe Cracks

[NHFarrier]

This question came to me while I was sitting in a SNEFA meeting last night! Like everyone else, I get horses that come to me with long toes and low heels. While all are now looking better, I noticed on a few that a small toe crack, barely deep enough to get my fingernail in, and anywhere from 1/8 to 1/2 inch long have developed. What is it about bringing the toe and heel back that causes some horses to get that crack? How do I prevent it from getting worse? Usually I use my knife to remove the crack, smoothe the edges and float the ground surface so it's not weight bearing.

Amy

[SPUDSGIRL]

Hi, I'm new and not a farrier. That exact thing happened to my horse but it is really superficial and can be rasped off. It has never caused any problems so I attribute it as cosmetic. Sometimes he will grow 1/2 inch without the crack and then it shows up again all the way to the coronary band. It will be interesting to see what others post.

[Phil Armitage]

That is a very good question. I do not think it has anything to do with lowering the heels. I think it has to do with how one dresses the dorsal wall and achieves breakover. For example if you set the shoe back to obtain proper breakover then dress the toe all the way back to the shoe, you might be thinning the dorsal wall too much and makeing it weak. I like to dress the toe back to achieve straight horn in the toe however I stay at the bottom half of the foot and the rest of the toe over the shoe I bevel from underneath. I have tried both ways and find maintaining wall thickness in the toe is best.

[calshoer]

What is it about bringing the toe and heel back that causes some horses to get that crack? I agree with Phil that is may be the method of bringing toe back that is causing it.
I bring heels and toes back all the time, and have not ever had that happen.
If its happening a lot to you, it may have something to do it the WAY you are bringing the toe back. Perhaps weakening the wall or the sole-wall connection at he distal end too much. Got pictures?
Patty

[NHFarrier]

I'll have to pay more attention to how I dress the foot on the 2 horses that I noticed the cracks on. For the most part, if I am bringing the toe back, I even the wall from the bottom of the foot and lightly dress from the front. If I set the shoe back and leave overhanging toe, I will smoothe out the edges in a "rolling" motion from the shoe up towards the dorsal wall. I almost never dress down the feet to match the shoe. One thing to mention is the horses that did develop the crack are the ones with the most run out in the toe.

Amy

[Phil Armitage]

Pictures would be good. By your description I am pictureing long toe and underrun heels. However maybe these are upright feet and the breakover needs to come back more. If they are more upright and your lowering the heels maybe the pull of the DDFT is causeing the dish and crack in the toes. Might need more breakover and wedges. This is a good discussion. Are the feet landing toe first?

[Mike Ferrara]

Once in a while I see toe cracks on feet that don't have long toes and even feet with no shoes.

I have usually been able to get rid of them though I'd be a liar if I said that I really knew what cause them or how I make them go away. I suspect that it sometimes has to do with flaring. Over time, as I get the foot shaped up and looking like I think it should, the toe cracks seem to usually go away.

I do set shoes back from the toe more now than I used to and maybe that helps some but I don't get the imprewssion that it's really a key point.

Contrary to what might be popular here, I even think that bringing the heels back too much (or not wedging after you do) can be part of the problem.

["Riddle"]

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv