Quarter Cracks & Sand Cracks --

[Bluerocket]

For those who trim your own minis (and those who don't too) -- how do you handle sand cracks (center of toe in front) and quarter cracks (on the side edges) on your minis?

We have a new mini who came with a quarter crack on a front hoof -- and his hoof was pulling away from the inner hoof wall because his feet were long. He also has a front and quarter crack developing on a hind foot.

We are in severe drought conditions -- so the hooves are hard and dry.

Our farrier trimmed off the part that came away from the wall --- but did nothing else to the hoof. Neither my husband nor I were home at the time the farrier came and it was an "emergency visit" with the hoof so long. I am scheduling a call for later this week and plan to be home for that one.

The front hoof (quarter crack) is a very old injury and he is not lame at all on either hoof.

Sooooo --- as we don't shoe our minis --- what can we do for these hoof injuries?? (I was thinking about asking him to "staple" the cracks shut after paring them out a bit) -- and even considering boots -- but as I said, he shows no signs of lameness.

Any suggestions? pointers? etc.. -- also looking at hoof grinders and that barracuda nipper as possible interim trimming to be done by myself --- just to make sure that the injuries don't re-occur between scheduled visits.

We don't grain in the summer because the grass has been good enough (even in the drought) to keep them at a heavier than desired weight --- I am graining now for winter -- and will be feeding wet beet pulp/alfalfa cubes so can add in biotin supplements 2x daily to help.

Any suggestions on preferred supplements?

Thanks in advance for any comments.

JJay

 

[Margo_C-T]

I live where there is basically 'perpetual' drought conditions, and have never had a miniature with either sand or quarter cracks. However, it can never 'hurt' to make a mud hole around the water trough a good part of the time, to help in keeping the feet better moisturized---and almost nothing is simpler.

I have never fed hoof supplements either, but perhaps something w/ biotin??

Sorry, guess I haven't really been much help; here's hoping you and your farrier can figure a way to solve these problems-good luck!

Margo

 

[Fred]

DO NOT PUT ANY FEET IN MUD WITH QUARTER OR SAND CRACKS!! Sometimes those cracks are due to a bacteria. If you must use hoof dressing. Vita Hoof, Rainmaker, Hoofmaker, etc.. Not pine tar based products either for hard dry hooves. If the horse is not lame the cracks you are describing are only bothering you not the horse. I don't mess with things that aren't broken. If the horse isn't lame I just clean it up a bit. Eventually they do grow out. Please also note that if the horse does have a crack sticking it in mud can cause bacteria to get in. Linda B

 

[JourneysEnd]

Sand cracks are not usually an injury (crack starts at the ground and goes up)

A crack that starts at the coronary band and goes down would be from an injury.

As a farrier I see more people get upset about sand cracks. These usually don't hurt the horse at all. No matter what the weather conditions, wet or dry, you can get thrush in the stratum medium. This leaves a hole inbetween the white line and the hoof wall. That makes it easy for the hoof to crack.

Your farrier can open this area up when they trim and expose the thrush to the air ( it's an anaerobic bacteria). They can also rocker the toe to take pressure off to help keep the crack from spreading.

If you look directly behind the crack you should see dirt in the hoof wall. Pick that out as much as you can and apply a thrush med. Plain Tea Tree oil works really well. This takes a long time to get rid of, you have to first kill whatever bacteria is causing it and then the hoof has to grow.

Good luck, this is a huge problem for those of us in the south.

Vickie

 

[Marty]

Sonny's was getting huge and heading up way too high. I put a horizonntal nitch in it with a rasp.

When the new farrier came she began to disect the thing and I'll be a son of a gun it was all dead tissue in there and she re-sectioned that back a little bit and I'll be a son of a gun again, say HELLO bacteria infection,

I had to soak with iodine and flush that puppy out for a few days. ICK. We feed biotin now and it's made a world of difference.

 

[wwminis]

[SIZE=14pt]Hi JJay,[/SIZE]

You can sand these cracks and clean them with some Denatured Alcohol, then fill them with Equithene Super Fast glue to seal them! Once the glue is dry (about 2 minutes) you can file or sand them smooth! This will seal the cracks until they grow out to the point of trimming them again!

Bill

 

[Bluerocket]

Thanks for all the suggestions --

Sand cracks are not usually an injury (crack starts at the ground and goes up)A crack that starts at the coronary band and goes down would be from an injury.

Vickie you are right about that in most cases. I purchased this horse from a friend and he told me that several years ago the horse injured his hoof - he came down on something sharp on the trailer from which he was being unloaded (I was not there so I have no idea what he stepped on) and sliced his hoof open. It has never healed up completely.

Bill I will try your suggestion on the new crack appearing on his hind hooves -- they have started at the bottom and are working their way up.

Marty -- what brand of biotin supplement are you feeding?

I will have the farrier out next week - he can't come this one. I am hoping he will be able to put a shoe on the front foot -- and clip it or something to keep it from just breaking off again.