06 Jun Vertical Crack Case Study

Vertical Cracks

This horse was presented with a chronic vertical crack which resulted in the horse being lame.

Cracks may form in the horse’s hoof wall, usually in a vertical direction, and either originate from the ground surface (sometimes called grass cracks) or, less commonly, from the coronary band (sometimes called sand cracks).  The above crack is a sand crack due to its position on the hoof wall.

Treatment

The treatment began with removal of the infection by paring out the under-run areas of the horn. A heart bar shoe with a reset toe was then fitted. The reset toe reduces pressure on the affected area and the heart bar loads the back half of the foot, giving the crack the best chance of growing out.

The horse will have regular appointments to monitor how the area is progressing.