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365 Days in Horse Country - Hoof Cracks


Blog by Michael Stuart Webb | April 28th, 2013


365 Days in Horse Country – Hoof Cracks





Horses get minor cracks and chips along the edge of the hoof all the time.  This is normal as the hoof grows out and begins to break off.  What isn’t normal are vertical cracks that start from the coronet band and extend down toward the toe.  These are called hoof cracks, and can be dangerous.  Hoof cracks are often caused by inappropriate hoof care, such as a trim that is wrong for that horse’s hoof and leg.  It causes an imbalance of the horse’s weight on that hoof, resulting in a stress crack.  If the crack develops toward the back of the hoof, near the heel, it is called a quarter crack and must be addressed by a farrier.  Some farriers put egg-bar shoes on horses with quarter cracks to help protect the hoof from further cracking until it grows out.
 

Michael