horizontal cracks on 3 feet on coronary band

[digitalangel]

Hi all

firstly, thanks for providing such a useful resource for horse owners, and of course thanks in advance to anyone who can give me some advice :)

One month ago, i took out on loan a 16yo American TB 16yo and quite fine with typical TB feet. I was told he travelled well but on arrival he was swetated up and had lost both his hind shoes and had ripped up his quarters on these feed quite a bit.

Because he was so sore without shoes i got a remedial farrier to come out and shoe him - he said it wasnt the worst he had seen and managed to get shoes on him. and he seems sound on his hind since.

However, last week he threw a front shoe - he wasnt lame on this so i waited a day or two to get the farrier out. When he arrived, i was cleaning his hooves andf i noticed a seperation or crack up near his coronet band on all 3 feet. some are worst than others, on one hind its only about 1.5 inches long and at the front but the worse one, on his right fore extends for around 3.5 inches laterally - nearly all the way around the hoof!

My farrier says they seem 'superficial' but to put disinfectant on it when hes turned out to prevent infection - which i have been doing

Since ive had him he has seemed a bit choppy in trot but i found that his tendon boots were rubbing on the same foot as the biggest crack so im hoping this is the reason and not the cracks.

I have placed him on biotin plus supplement as well and i make sure his hooves are clean and dry. I also bought some keratex hoof putty but i cant get it in the cracks.

his owner has never seen these cracks before but they are hard to spot as they are just under the hair of the coronet band.

Im wondering what caused these - could he have done it in the trailer? surely no horse could have 3 abcesses at once? also im thinking of doing a small jumping show in 2 weeks and while he seems sound now, is it wise to jump with these cracks?

i have no pictures of my horses hooves as it is dark by the time i get to the yard these days but i have attached a pic of a horse who seems to have a similar problem.

Finally on the same hoof with the crack, there is a red kind of bruise and a kind of 'scuff' on the outside, quarter region of the hoof - im guessing this is from the trailer as well as he hasnt knocked himself that i know of.

he is normally sound but has tratment every 6 months for hamstring stiffness.

sorry for the long post! i hope someone has some answers for me!

http://www.blogstudio.com/johncoxon/fronthoof.jpg

[Jaye Perry]

Hi all

firstly, thanks for providing such a useful resource for horse owners, and of course thanks in advance to anyone who can give me some advice :)

One month ago, i took out on loan a 16yo American TB 16yo and quite fine with typical TB feet. I was told he travelled well but on arrival he was swetated up and had lost both his hind shoes and had ripped up his quarters on these feed quite a bit.

Because he was so sore without shoes i got a remedial farrier to come out and shoe him - he said it wasnt the worst he had seen and managed to get shoes on him. and he seems sound on his hind since.

However, last week he threw a front shoe - he wasnt lame on this so i waited a day or two to get the farrier out. When he arrived, i was cleaning his hooves andf i noticed a seperation or crack up near his coronet band on all 3 feet. some are worst than others, on one hind its only about 1.5 inches long and at the front but the worse one, on his right fore extends for around 3.5 inches laterally - nearly all the way around the hoof!

My farrier says they seem 'superficial' but to put disinfectant on it when hes turned out to prevent infection - which i have been doing

Since ive had him he has seemed a bit choppy in trot but i found that his tendon boots were rubbing on the same foot as the biggest crack so im hoping this is the reason and not the cracks.

I have placed him on biotin plus supplement as well and i make sure his hooves are clean and dry. I also bought some keratex hoof putty but i cant get it in the cracks.

his owner has never seen these cracks before but they are hard to spot as they are just under the hair of the coronet band.

Im wondering what caused these - could he have done it in the trailer? surely no horse could have 3 abcesses at once? also im thinking of doing a small jumping show in 2 weeks and while he seems sound now, is it wise to jump with these cracks?

i have no pictures of my horses hooves as it is dark by the time i get to the yard these days but i have attached a pic of a horse who seems to have a similar problem.

Finally on the same hoof with the crack, there is a red kind of bruise and a kind of 'scuff' on the outside, quarter region of the hoof - im guessing this is from the trailer as well as he hasnt knocked himself that i know of.

he is normally sound but has tratment every 6 months for hamstring stiffness.

sorry for the long post! i hope someone has some answers for me!

http://www.blogstudio.com/johncoxon/fronthoof.jpg
Metabolic distresses can trgger these cracks.

[Rick Burten]

Most generally they are the physical evidence of an abscess that vented at the coronary level. they grow out without much ado unless they grown down into the nail line(place where the horseshoe nails are driven. Then its just a matter of relocating your nails to a different position. the only other time these vents become problematic is as they get close to the ground. They often just finally chip awy and leave a bit of a void in that area. Not to worry, these will continue to grow out until they dissapear and should't cause andy problems.

Rick

[Thomas_Ride&Drive]

and should't cause andy problems.Rick
How did you know the horse was called Andy ;)

[Rick Burten]

How did you know the horse was called Andy ;)
Because I'm an equine psychic, El Magnifico en Todo el Mundo, Prince of Pretty, Sultan of Suave, Duke of Derring Do's and Don't's. :D

AKA:

Rick

[digitalangel]

Thanks Rick, his name is Nigel, not andy but close!

Seriously though, what are the chances of abcesses occuring in 3 feet all at the same time with no noticeable lameness? Maybe the universe hates me but surely not that much?

So you think he should be OK to jump then? One of those things where it is worse than it actually looks?

Jaye - you say metabolic distress? im assuming that means that he has not had a balanced diet? I know that over the last few months hes been very well cared for as i observed him over a period of time before taking him on. He has not had a hoof supplement per se but is in good condition and has not been neglected at all.

[Rick Burten]

Thanks Rick, his name is Nigel, not andy but close!
Ah, you call him Nigel, but his momma named him Andy. In horse, thats a short high pitched whinny followed by a grunt and a snort. :p
Seriously though, what are the chances of abcesses occuring in 3 feet all at the same time with no noticeable lameness? Maybe the universe hates me but surely not that much?
So much would have depended on the exigent factors. A lot of bruising, gravels, etc could all have happened simultaneously.
So you think he should be OK to jump then?
I would not swear an oath to that effect, but conversationally, yes. But you really should have your vet or farrier put hoof testers on him and see what if anything they turn up. And if the vents were the results of a gravel, then that should show up in the white line when he is trimmed. Bruising should show up in the sole next to the white line and in line with the vents.
One of those things where it is worse than it actually looks?
Actually, most of the time it is one of those things that is not as bad as it looks.

Rick

[Jaye Perry]

Jaye - you say metabolic distress? im assuming that means that he has not had a balanced diet? I know that over the last few months hes been very well cared for as i observed him over a period of time before taking him on. He has not had a hoof supplement per se but is in good condition and has not been neglected at all.Metabolic- pertaining to metabolism; sum of physical and chemical processes by which substance is produced and maintained.

So, trailer ride with stress and "Hamstring" problem every six months indicates a chemical imbalance, which is seen in the feet with horizontal cracks with undue stress.
In the near future have a hormonal check done on your horse, T3 and T4 balances. The next time the Hamstrings "act" up check enzymes; i.e. tying up.

It may not be the type of feed your feeding or what the horse has been fed, it maybe the way the horse's body is processing the energy and the way the horse's body deals with stresses.
Here's one with imbalanced T3 & T4 levels. Competes and "froths or sweats" up when stressed.