Horrible Hooves

[Cherican Farms]

Hi, I am new to the board but I have a question I sure hope someone can help me with. We recently purchased (in July) an 8 yr. old OFT TB gelding. He had cracked dry hooves when we got him and we pulled his shoes, started him on "Masters hoof blend" and put Absorbine hoof liquid on everyday. He soon went lame with no shoes so we replaced his shoes and the lameness soon left. Now we have a problem with his front hooves cracking up the middle. Both front hooves are cracked and one is cracked up to the coronet band. There seems to be a little heat in that hoof. So many people are telling me so many different things, I was hopeing someone here, who has "been there, done that" could give me a heads up on what I can do to help this problem. His hooves are consideralbly better than they were, he's barefoot on the rear for now, and they look great. My daughter has hopes on using this guy for eventing, he's an awesome horse except for his feet.
Thanks to anyone who can give any suggestions. Robin, Cherican Farms

[Intrinsic Worth]

Cracks up to the coronet band can mean his angles are wrong (happens to my horse when I have to use a different farrier.) Try putting Keratex on his hooves to toughen them up.

[madelyn]

In addition to the hooves themselves, it is important to condition the coronary band, which is in effect the cuticle. The biggest problem with cracks, though, is that they are hard to stop once they start on their way up the hoof wall. You could try bar shoes for support or the new epoxy techniques being taught by the German farriery schools on the front to let the hoof walls re-grow (about 9 months). Hooflex is good, also Hoofmaker.

[Shammy Davis]

No one who has ever taken a TB off the track should ever been surprised at the poor condition of the OTTB hooves. It sounds to me like your horse is now barefoot. That is good. You should get advice from a VET or farrier on the true condition of hooves and the cause of the lameness. Have them check for absesses, etc. Some horses have brittle horny walls and constantly display cracks. Cracks do not necessarily indicate weakness. Supplements can help. Keep the feet clean and dry. Tenderness is a common problem when shoes have been removed and movement is now required on harder or more abrasive surfaces. Typically, track farriers shear the heels and reduce the thickness of sole. You want to insure that the opposite happens now. Allows the sole to thicken and allow the heel to develop. It takes a great deal of patience and attention to detail. Particularly with the heels, it is very hard to get them to grow against the sharp angles previously cut by the track farrier. As a farrier for over 30 years, I'm a firm believer in barefoot horses. To toughen the soles, I use Venice Turpentine. You can also apply it to the horny wall. Don't let it get on the hairline or coronary band. It seals the cracks. You can find it at your local feed and milling store or at tack shop. If the lameness is severe and attributed to a tender sole, use boots on a temporary basis. To get good circulation the horse has got to move. Long riderless walks are very good therapy. I use Old Mac boots. They are very protective and very comfortable. There are number of good boots on the market. If you do use a boot, insure that fits properly. Hope this helps.

[Inyureye]

I am happy to have read Shammy Davis' synopsis of OTTB hoof care, and of the discussion of rehab and protection during it. I look forward to hearing more details about hoof care. My OTTB feet always worried me so. I had a long lean TB mare with long pasterns which was shod with such long toes and poor heels even years after the track, I searched for a long time to find someone to work on better angles, and she pulled her suspensories anyway, so I have been left at a loss as to how to think about her (this was 30 years ago but fresh in my mind). My gelding had the same long toe, but when I put a good heel on him and he was shod with a slightly shorter toe his soundness was vastly improved. Likewise the cracks have always worried me, thin but the length sometimes of the hoof, I am happy to hear discussion on this, thanks.

[Shammy Davis]

Inyureye: Glad I could help. You make a very good point about the shortened toe. That is the first step to developing the heels. The other point I forgot to cover is that unless the frog and sole are diseased or injured, the hoof knife should not touch them. It doesn't take much of a cut to reduce the sole in a hurry. In the beginning, restrain yourself to a hoof pick. Many OTTB have evidence of seedy toe from repetitive shoeing over a long period of time. Once they go into the rescue or sale cycle, the shoes often stay on until they fall off or don't fit. Seedy toe needs to be eliminated early. Use the nippers to cut the wall back to healthy tissue at the white line. Shoes are anathema until healthy tissue is available throughout the hoof.

[ak1]

this is a great discussion! thanks for sharing the wisdom. i am amazed at the hooves on some of the horses posted on the t-bred rescue sites such as canter. certain regions seem to have very extreme angles consistently. angles that i was taught growing up were not correct....long toes and no heels. then other regions, the hooves look great. guess each track region has their beliefs as to what is appropriate, as well as different racing surfaces.

[kimberley mine]

Hi there,

I ride a draft cross mare and for a while she had bad cracking like you described. She is big, had previously foundered in the L front, and had feet that looked like a ball of pie dough that had been squashed. In her case a farrier change fixed a lot of problems--she went from a farrier who was competent with ordinary horses to a farrier who specialized in big horses and also in special needs horses. That might be something to look into if you have tried everything else and are still having problems with him.

Good luck!

[hpkingjr]

Bobby Frankel uses Balsam of Peru on his horses. Helps stop cracks and seal small ones. Paints on with 1 inch brush

[WarHorse]

Shammy: have you ever applied a patch to a persistent crack? Some of them just won't go away.

I've also seen farriers burn the top of a crack in an attempt to stop it.

Opinions?

[Shammy Davis]

Many years ago, I worried about cracks. I don't anymore unless they are causing lameness. I've found that the majority of cracks are not worth the worry. I owned a mare whose fore hooves looked like the face of recently split oak log. She was consistently sound after winning $90K from over 40 starts on the track. She spent much of her remaining life as an eventer for my daughter. I never put shoes on her and I used Venice Turpentine to seal the cracks prior to heavy training or events. When I started out as a farrier we filled wide cracks with dental acrylic and secured them with staples or nails. I now believe it's a waste of effort. From an appearance standpoint, there are many good dressing on the market that will make hooves attractive. The rule of thumb really depends upon whether the structural intregrity of the hoof is being compromised or the horse is lame. If either of these two are the case, you need to work with a veterinarian, not a farrier. The reason being that x-ray's or invasive procedures may be required to truly determine the problem and come up with an accurate diagnosis. After over 30 years of looking at hooves and in horse's mouths, I've come to the conclusion that something may not look pretty, but if it is working, leave it alone. One bad nail prick, one bad stroke of the hoof knife, one ill placed staple or chemical, and your horse is ruined. When working with a equine vet or other professional, my rule of thumb for making decisions is predicated on getting them to give me 3 alternative solutions or approaches to the problem, one of which can be "do nothing." If a professional can't offer me three solutions or approaches I won't work with them. So, I guess my opinion is don't waste your money on the crack if it doesn't bother anything.

[Deborah]

Try the hoof dressings Farrier Barrier and/or Crossopol. Two feed supplements which have excellent results are Farrier's Formula and Horse Power. Horse Power is very expensive but well worth it.

[BenB]

In our country we stich a kind of small needles, screws on both sides of the crack
and get crossing them with a kind of wire, so tying it close. Every trimming from the hooves tying it closer so that the new hoove starts to come, it relieves the pressure. Dooiing this we use an epoxy for closing the whole thing in order to prevent dirt coming in. It can take almost a year, but the job will be finished with this.
Only shoes need to be under all the time.
After a period of time your able to ride
again, not training but riding.

[haemju]

Shammy, tell me your opinion on a gelding that I have coming in.
He is was severly lame coming off the track. ? Navicular but it turns out to probably be persistant abcesses. Now he is barefoot and is turned out on
soild gravel ground and seems to be doing much better. is there anything I can possibly do to help erradicate these abcesses when he comes. He will be on grass pasture and a stall with mats. Any suggestions as to why this is happening, or any products that I could use to help remedy the situation? Also, any idea of why this may be happening? He is much better then he was but, still tender.

[BenB]

Shammy now I see, you,re already written in your last post the thing I wrote after you.
Stupid me I did not take enough notice of your post.
But the difference in our country we still using the nails and srews.