# Badly cracked hooves! What can I do?



## Pidge (Sep 5, 2009)

Lots of none turpintine related hoof conditioner and hoof supliments in the feed...on top of that I would keep them well trimmed and keep a rasp handy so you can keep them looking nice between trims...

Past that Im not sure what else you could do...my horse and all my friends horses are barefoot so I dont know anything about special shoes and what-not.

You might try keeping easy boots on his cracked hooves to keep dirt and pebbles and such out of the cracks...and if you take him barefoot again to keep him from chipping off his toe.


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

Go back to barefoot and keep the wall strongly beveled and short and the crack out of ground contact. Have your farrier study our Barefoothorse trimmers site. Shoes are not the answer, correct trimming is. Boot for riding.


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## RubaiyateBandit (Jan 25, 2009)

Matt actually does do some barefoot trimming for a few people, and like I said, we kept Magic barefoot for a year, and Tanner hasn't had any shoes at all. But that wasn't working out -- Magic was splitting her hooves and snapping off chunks of hoof in the pasture, not while riding (I mostly ride her in a sandy arena), and keeping boots on her in the pasture is just not an option. When she was barefoot, Matt was out here every month or more. 
I'm not a strong believer in barefoot trimming, but I don't throw shoes on all of my horses either (in fact, as of right now, Magic and 2-Pak are the only two with shoes on; Ruby used to wear shoes, but has been barefoot for two years.). I'm a strong believer in trying several things and seeing what works best.

The conditioner I'm using is Absorbine Hooflex (I use it on all the horses pretty regularly) and I give her and Tanner Silver Lining’s #12 Feet and Bone Support supplements.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

What are you feeding them? I would examine their diet as a long term solution. I'm not a fan of paint on hoof dressings.. We apply an oily brush to a poop and junk covered foot and then stick it back in the jar for bacteria to grow exponentially? I would use MTG or a squirt bottle on their feet daily or every other day to be effective. I also like calm coat..it smells better and has tea tree oil instead of sulfur like MTG.


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## RubaiyateBandit (Jan 25, 2009)

starlinestables said:


> What are you feeding them? I would examine their diet as a long term solution. I'm not a fan of paint on hoof dressings.. We apply an oily brush to a poop and junk covered foot and then stick it back in the jar for bacteria to grow exponentially? I would use MTG or a squirt bottle on their feet daily or every other day to be effective. I also like calm coat..it smells better and has tea tree oil instead of sulfur like MTG.


Right now, all the horses are on pasture, plus the above mentioned supplements for Tanner and Magic, mixed in with a performance horse feed. Katy -- a friend of mine who's job is to go out and assess people's feeding program and then suggest ways to make it better -- was planned to come out this week, but because of a sudden family matter she had, we'll have to reschedule.
I have a pretty similar view on the paint on applications... but I still use them. I just wash/scrub the horses' hooves first, and I wash the applicator brush after each horse (I saved a few brushes from old cans of the stuff, and hijacked some from friends, then alternate them.)
I've never heard of using MTG on hooves, though. It would certainly be less work. And I've never even heard of calm coat.


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

> Magic was splitting her hooves and snapping off chunks of hoof in the pasture,


All I can say is if you look at the pics on that website you will realize they cannot snap chunks off in a pasture trimmed correctly.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

Squirt bottles are much easier than paint-ons especially if you do the soles. If you look at the ingredients of hoof dressings and MTG or CalmCoat they are basically the same except MTG has sulfur to act as a antimicrobial and CalmCoat has Tea Tree oil as the antimicrobial but it comes in a spray bottle that I put in a squeeze bottle because I use it on their manes and tails too.


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## RubaiyateBandit (Jan 25, 2009)

Appyt said:


> All I can say is if you look at the pics on that website you will realize they cannot snap chunks off in a pasture trimmed correctly.


One of Magic's hooves was cracked twice, all the way to the coronet band and right down the front... she'd crack off that portion in between the two cracks, even if the farrier beveled off the edges like in those pictures.

I got some pictures of their feet on my cell phone today, too.

Magic's left front hoof: (Matt mentioned ordering some kind of staples for that big crack, because it just keeps spreading open.)









Magic's right front hoof: (you can't really see how it would snap off between the cracks, since he filled the space between the shoe and hoof with some kind of temporary hoof glue -- I can't really remember what it was called.)









Tanner's left front hoof (that is getting a trim just as soon as I can get Matt out here.)


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

They look long but that may be the angle. I'd love to see a sole shot as well as a side view. I highly suspect contraction.


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## RubaiyateBandit (Jan 25, 2009)

Appyt said:


> They look long but that may be the angle. I'd love to see a sole shot as well as a side view. I highly suspect contraction.


I think it's the angle... I just sorta snapped those shots through the fence just to show the cracks.
If there is still enough light when I get home I can try to get some better pictures.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

i would use a lot of venise terpentine on the feet, and reducine. those are both great for bad feet. 

also put them on a Biotin supplement. it helps strengthen the hooves. we have had a lot of luck with it.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I agree with Appyt -- they look long. Those horizontal filings don't do anything either. Just weakens the hoof at that point. At the point of the crack at the ground, as much pressure as possible should be relieved -- this is done by distributing the weight by the way, not by notching at ground level which is something I have seen a lot of. The nail holes are weakening an already weak hoof.

These hooves need to be shortened and rounded at least. A side shot and one from the bottom would be helpful as well. I highly recommoned against all hoof "tonics" that are applied to the hoof wall and sole. They do not allow the hoof to breath and can trap moisture and bacteria in the hoof. If you want to do anything like that, use a treatment that is applied only to the coronet band and rub it in well maybe twice a week. No more than that I'd say.

Biotin is a great feed supplement for hoof growth.

Expect at least a year for this to be resolved. With proper trimming! Otherwise it'll never fix.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

NorthernMama said:


> I highly recommoned against all hoof "tonics" that are applied to the hoof wall and sole. They do not allow the hoof to breath and can trap moisture and bacteria in the hoof. If you want to do anything like that, use a treatment that is applied only to the coronet band and rub it in well maybe twice a week. No more than that I'd say.


 reducine stimulates the hoof to grow quicker, so these cracks can grow out a little faster. you can apply to the whole hoof if you want (we do sometimes and then wrap in plastic wrap and a vetwrap to draw out soreness) or just apply around coronet band and scrub it in good.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

AlmagroN said:


> reducine stimulates the hoof to grow quicker, so these cracks can grow out a little faster. you can apply to the whole hoof if you want (we do sometimes and then wrap in plastic wrap and a vetwrap to draw out soreness) or just apply around coronet band and scrub it in good.


Since the hoof grows down, applying it to the whole hoof won't do anything for growth. As far as using it to draw out soreness -- how would that work? That would be like putting boilease on our fingernail and expecting it to make our fingers feel better after playing steel guitar. Huh?


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

> reducine stimulates the hoof to grow quicker, so these cracks can grow out a little faster. you can apply to the whole hoof if you want (we do sometimes and then wrap in plastic wrap and a vetwrap to draw out soreness) or just apply around coronet band and scrub it in good.


Truly rubbing a hoof wall cannot stimulate growth. Massaging the coronet band does have benefits however.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

i said you can just apply it to the coronet band did it? (rechecking)

i also said WE use it as a sweat to draw out soreness. when i say apply to whole hoof, i mean sole too. reducine stimulats blood flow, and shorter recovery time after an injury. 

we also use poltice on feet. poltice the whole foot and wrap it in wet paper, and vetwrap it. it draws out soreness as well, but poltice will dry out feet, reducine wont.


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## Donanuge (Aug 21, 2007)

Try focus hf, it worked for me....my horse is barefoot...and gets a trim every 6 wks.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

AlmagroN said:


> i also said WE use it as a sweat to draw out soreness. when i say apply to whole hoof, i mean sole too. reducine stimulats blood flow, and shorter recovery time after an injury.
> 
> we also use poltice on feet. poltice the whole foot and wrap it in wet paper, and vetwrap it. it draws out soreness as well, but poltice will dry out feet, reducine wont.


Yes, but YOU still didn't explain how this is supposed to work. I just don't understand first off what soreness and secondly how it supposedly pulls it out.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

NorthernMama said:


> Yes, but YOU still didn't explain how this is supposed to work. I just don't understand first off what soreness and secondly how it supposedly pulls it out.


 im not saying her horses feet are sore. i think you misunderstood, or i didnt type it clearly. i was saying for example how we use it for our horses. 

dont ask me how it pulls it out, how the heck do i know. lol. i suspect its a lot like if you cover and wrap a foot in itchthemol, how that draws out soreness. our racehorses do get sore feet from racing and training, and we have seen horses improve by using it this way. 

i suppose i should ask sometime why it works. it was just always something i was told to do since i started with racehorses, and i have worked for different stables before, and they do it too, so its not just our stable that believes it works lol


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

AlmagroN said:


> im not saying her horses feet are sore. i think you misunderstood, or i didnt type it clearly. i was saying for example how we use it for our horses.
> 
> dont ask me how it pulls it out, how the heck do i know. lol. i suspect its a lot like if you cover and wrap a foot in itchthemol, how that draws out soreness. our racehorses do get sore feet from racing and training, and we have seen horses improve by using it this way.
> 
> i suppose i should ask sometime why it works. it was just always something i was told to do since i started with racehorses, and i have worked for different stables before, and they do it too, so its not just our stable that believes it works lol


I didn't think you were saying her horse's feet were sore, but I am interested in this. If you do get a chance, please ask someone because I don't get it.


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## RubaiyateBandit (Jan 25, 2009)

I got out and got some side and sole pictures of Magic's hooves (I remember someone asking for them.) :

Left hoof:

















Right hoof:

















Sorry the pictures aren't very good... my camera is MIA, so I just took them with my cell phone.

Also, I had the farrier out, and he tightened the clips on her shoes and checked her over for any pain, then told me to just keep an eye on her and call if I even think that her hooves are getting worse. 

I would also like to point out that I don't intend to keep her in shoes. Once my farrier and I have deemed that the cracks in her hooves have healed up sufficiently, I'll go back to keeping her barefoot.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

Just out of my own curiosity, did your farrier try a good "mustang" roll to try to take pressure off of the hoof where the cracks areand tighten up her white line? I think someone mentioned it earlier in the thread but im not sure, i think it might help prevent chunks from being taken off when she moves and helps stop cracks by taking pressure off the hoof wall and placing it on the toe area where naturally it is supposed to be. Maybe you might wanna consider getting a second opinion on what to do from another farrier or vet, Im not doubting your farrier(and as a professional your vet should completely understand this) i just know if Doms feet were in such bad condition, id want the opinion of more than one person...Barefoot for Soundness
We use her trimming ideas on Dom and they have helped a ton... it also explains a lot about white line separation which it looks like your horse has a good share of. 
Good luck!


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I'm not good at shod feet critiques because I don't "do" shoes, but:

In my opinion, her toes are too long and her heels are too forward. If you need more clips to hold the shoes on, you need to be asking what happens when you run out of places on the hoof to put clips on? You've already run out of good wall for the nails... This is a downward spiral, IMO.

Look how the angle of her hoof at the upper 1/2" inch is et and follow that line down -- that's where her toes should be. Her hoof is dished in the front.

Her walls need time to grow in without further damage from nails. Perhaps once she is set up again with strong walls, you could go back to shoes (I have no experience with that), but at this time I don't think you are doing her any favours. I would reconsider.


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## xLaurenOscarx (Aug 11, 2009)

A Horse At THe Riding School Has Glue Keeping His Cracks Together.
My HOrse Used To Have Bad Sand Cracks But I Kept Putting Hoof Oil/Grease On His Hooves Everyday And Gave Him Biotin In His Feed And He Has The Shoes With The Clips At THe Front And His Hooves Are An awful Lot Better


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

For some reason i took an interest in this thread enough to email the pics you posted to her feet to one of my friends, and also the veteranarian who trims our horses feet,
i sent her your original post and she looked at the pics you posted and she sent me these back... mind you she said these were done on paint after a long day at work so they arent perfect (haha even doctors use paint still) but they give you an idea of how to stop the cracks, which she said looked like they were partially from a long toe applying pressure on the front of the hoof wall, and also causing painful white line separation... i hope these help you
sorry for sticking my nose in it, but as i said it just interests me. and this is just her prof opinion, not meant to say that your farrier is wrong, but her opinion on how to stop the cracking and white line distortion in your horses hooves.

she said the black line should be the correct angle of the hoof, the pink line shows the white line distortion caused by the long toe which should be given a good break over or "mustang roll" (blue line) to relieve the pressure in the orange circle where the arrow shows where the white line distortion begins.

How she explained the whole thing to me (Dom had really long toes when we got him, so he had lots of white line separation) was to take your hand with your fingers extended and palm facing the table and to place only the tips of your fingers on the table. now push down and notice how all the pressure bends your fingers into a wide v angle with the back of your hand, she said this is kinda how a long toe puts pressure on the front of the hoof wall and pulls apart the tissue inside. she then said to curl the tips of your fingers under at the first and second knuckle only and place the first knuckles joint on the table and press down like before and notice how little pressure is pushing on your third knuckles (where your finger meets your hand ie, front of the hoof wall). she said the same way that you relieved the pressure by curling your fingers you can do to the horse by providing a good break over...
sorry it is so long, hope it helps!


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