Lateral Cracks in Hoof Wall

[Arbo1027]

During a particularly cold spell last winter, two of my horses developed cracks in the hoof wall lateral to and just below the coronary band (front feet only). The horses remained sound. I treated with a tar based hoof dressing at the time, and the condition improved almost immediately with no further cracking. There is obvious healthy hoof growth above the cracks at this time. My farrier is somewhat concerned that this could cause problems when the cracks reach the point where the nails will be in the cracked area. My main concern is how to prevent such cracks next winter. My horses are turned out with available shelter whenever they wish. They have plenty of hay, neverending fresh water, and a good grain ration daily. The horses are generally healthy, with minimal issues.

[Rick Burten]

Horizontal cracks in the hoofwall are the result of a gravel venting at the coronary level. Once the venting occurs there is no more problem. Your farrier has a legitimate concern about nail placement. I suggest he punch some additional nail holes in the web of the shoe and use them to avoid nailing into the disrupted horn.

[Tom Stovall, CJF]

Rick Burten in gray, deletia

Horizontal cracks in the hoofwall are the result of a gravel venting at the coronary level.

Anything that causes a temporary reduction in blood supply to the coronary corium can cause a horizontal crack in the wall. Abscess blow outs are a common cause, but treads and other forms of trauma to the coronary band are another - at times, more common - cause.

Once the venting occurs there is no more problem. Your farrier has a legitimate concern about nail placement. I suggest he punch some additional nail holes in the web of the shoe and use them to avoid nailing into the disrupted horn.

Mebbe even pull a clip while the iron is hot. :)

[calshoer]

Im going with Tom on this one since it was front feet on TWO horses.....I've had feet do that here in bad freezes, on hard frozen ground. Sometimes it can be a simple mechanical "blow out" from concussion trauma. Anyway, when it grows down enough to lose the piece below the crack, the farrier should be able to easily patch the wall with one of the good patch materials on the market today.(equilox, equithane, bond and flex, etc) . And then clip and shoe it as normal.
Patty

[Arbo1027]

Thanks for the replys. I will continue to keep a close eye on the feet, and work closely with the farrier on a solution. Once again...Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening next winter.

[Gary Hill]

On prevention let me ask some crazy questions? How cold did it get and for how long? Where are you and your horses located? Were they stalled or pastured or in a wet muddy paddock? Reason I am asking is I WONDER? :confused: Did some sort of , for want of a better word, I will use, "frostbite" possibly have occured? I have seen many animals lose parts of ears and tails from cold, thats why I thought I would ask? Now we all know the hoof is like a box and if it happens to be exposed or overexposed to extremely wet cold, then dry out to a point that the concussion then caused the cracks? :( Now to back up my crazy thoughts, we here in "Gods Country", thats Texas to nonTexans, :D after two years of extreme drought we are now in the WETTEST summer I can ever remember! I spoke to two other fellow Farriers today and they both mentioned how many shoes are coming loose now that we have had a week without ground soaking storms. Clinches are popping out and shoes are falling off alot of horses, and cracks are at an unbelievable level! OK, I got alittle off track but the weather now days is making us all alittle crazy? :D

[J.H. shoeing]

I've been buying "floaties" at the dollar store. The horses here are getting more use out of these than there shoes.

[Arbo1027]

We had single digit temps for about a week. Things were not wet and muddy at the time, the ground was frozen solid. The horses were out, but have access to the barn any time they want. They are free to come and go from the barn as they please. The barn floor is a shale pad with "cracker dust" limestone over top of the shale. This provides excellent drainage for ground water and urine. The stalls are cleaned daily to avoid the horses standing in their own waste. They tend to stand around the hay ring quite alot in the winter. That area is cleaned up with the tractor about once a month. Even the manure was frozen solid at the time. My primary concern right now is to avoid losing the toe of the hoof if it cracks loose, and how I might prevent such cracks in the future.