Crack in horses hoof?

Question

I just noticed yesterday that my horse has a half inch crack running straight up the front of his hoof. The farrier comes out Friday so I will ask him then, but do you think I should be very worried about it? Is there anything I can do to keep it from cracking any further? He is barefoot and outside on dirt all day with no rocks and some grass but mostly dirt...(they just put in new drainage systems and are waiting for the grass to come up) But anyways what would you suggest? Can I still ride him? The arenas are sand/dirt mix if that helps at all :) thank you :)

Answer 1

It should be fine until your farrier gets there. The best prevention and treatment is by proper trimming. A good barefoot trim will allow the tissues beneath the crack to remain intact and prevent it from spreading.



Research has clearly demonstrated that using topical lotions, petroleum products, hardeners, and so forth will do no good, and are likely to foster changes that will damage hoof tissues, so I would avoid using anything topical to treat this.

A farrier who is also certified in barefoot trimming and knows how to balance and finish the hooves with a mustang roll to prevent future cracks from developing would be the best one to deal with this.

If your farrier is not a barefoot specialist, then I'd consider finding another who is. In the meantime, I wouldn't apply anything to the hoof, and stay on the softer surfaces when you ride.

Answer 2

It's not necessarily a dire situation. Yes, I would call the farrier if this doesn't normally happen to your horse. But it's nothing that you need to be panicking about. I've got an OOTB that always has cracked hooves. They never seem to bother him, and the farrier's never said it was an emergency to get them fixed etc. I would buy some hoof conditioner and put it on there, and then just keep an eye on it. Sometimes they're grass cracks or sand cracks. Which basically happens from the grass, sand, dirt etc what have you getting stuck in a small crack and widening it. In that case just try to keep it clean. There's stuff you can get from a tack shop called hoof sealant if you're really worried about it. And in the worst case scenario your farrier can put on a shoe and some sealer to keep it together. It's nothing to be freaking out about though. Just go by how it looks and how your horse acts. Clearly if it looks like it hurts call the farrier now, but if your horse is like my guy and just goes about business as usual it's prob not a big deal.

Answer 3

You can help stop it spreading by filing a notch above the crack :) Your farrier will most likely do this anyway. I would wait till he's seen the farrier to ride him just to be on the safe side. My horse had terribly cracked hooves nearly all the way to the coronet band and he needed shoes on his front hooves to help take the pressure off the crack to help grow it out. I suggest massaging some vegatable oil or lanolin into the coronet band to help stimilute the area to increase bloodflow. You could spend some money on a proper hoof oil but this will suffice! If he has a crack beware of white line disease aka seedy toe (just google it). Its a bacteria that will get in though a crack and cause seperation of the hoof wall. It loves moisture too. Good luck with your guy my guy took approx 5 months to grow a completely new hoof. I also add a teaspoon of geletin to my feed daily to help strengthen the hoof but have a look at some biotin supplements too.

Answer 4

It could be superficial but to stop it cracking further until a farrier gets out, get a rasp and just put a small line a few millimeters into the hoof perpendicular (should results in crack looking T-shaped) to the crack at the top of the crack. This stops the crack going further up the hoof. Also give it a good moisturise it could be from being a bit too dry.

Answer 5

Half an inch isn't anything to freak out about, you just need it to be taken care of so it won't get any worse and eventually cause a lame horse.



I would recommend not riding him until the farrier trims and files his hooves. As for the farrier; he will probably trim the hoof down like it's a normal trimming, then file the hoof up some to help heal the crack. Since the crack is only about half an inch, one trimming should help wonders. And I'm sure you could probably ride him after the farrier fixes his hoof.



To prevent future cracks, you can keep his hooves conditioned; a wonderful way to keep them from cracking. It's kind of like dry skin. Put lotion on and you will fell better. You could probably buy some hoof conditioner at a local equine store. Massage the hoof dressing on the outside of the hoof, then thoroughly pick out the hoof and rinse it with water on the inside. Let it dry, and massage the hoof dressing to the frog, hoof wall, heal, and coronet. This will prevent cracking and it will stimulate future healthy hoof growth. However, do not apply hoof dressing TOO often because then the hoof could lose the ability to absorb moisture itself.



Another way to prevent cracking is mud. Surprisingly, when horses stand in wet mud their hooves are soaking up the water. Maybe, by the water trough out in the pasture, you could make a small mud puddle. So when your horse goes to drink water, it will stand in the wet mud puddle and his hooves will absorb the moisture in the mud.



I do these methods to my horse very often in the summer when the southern heat gets to her hooves. It helps a lot.



And remember, it is always, ALWAYS, very crucial to keep the hooves trimmed and at a good length. A way to tell if a horse's hooves aren't to long is if the heals of the hoof are off the ground.



http://www.danzaanddanza.com/farms/customs/grey/raja/hooves.jpg



See how that horse's hooves are more upward on the toes? And not back on the heal? Those are nicely trimmed, and very well taken care of hooves.



Here's a picture of a horse's hooves that are too long.



http://media.photobucket.com/image/hooves%20too%20long/NecromancerAda/031.jpg



Very poorly taken care of hooves. If the heal is almost to the ground like this horse, then they are too long. Sometimes, it will take many clippings and farrier visits to get hooves like these fixed. Hooves that get longer then this could eventually cause founder.



So my advice to you would be to not ride him until the farrier trims his hooves. Keep his heals off the ground and his hooves trimmed every 6-8 weeks. And keep them moist to prevent future cracking. I hope everything works out. :)

Answer 6

you would be best to put a set of front shoes on to stop the crack from going any further untill the crack is smaller at least. dry conditions commonly cause cracked hooves and you must keep an eye on them coz if the crack gets too high your horse can become very sore and go lame!

Answer 7

Be careful about it, If he's not lame, then you can ride him just not hard. The farrier defiantly needs to fix that before it gets worse.

Answer 8

i would wait and check with the farrier first it is better to wait a couple of day than to ride and it becomes serious and the have to wait a couple of weeks or even months to ride

Answer 9

1/2" ...no worries, wait till friday and talk to your farrier. If you have a rasp you can file his toe edge so it is rounded off (mustang roll)

Answer 10

As a general rule, these are superficial and of no consequence. If your horse is not lame, it is probably not anything to be concerned about and are quite common.

Answer 11

snort that sh!t