Cracked hoof??

[georgia23]

We are treating my 28 yo gelding for mud fever in one fetlock and have been for the last year and recently I've noticed that that hoof is a little cracked at the bottom and just under the coronet there's a bit of a dip. How would this have happened? Is it something to do with the mud fever? Is there anything we can do to prevent it happening?

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

The crack at the bottom could have let bacteria in and you could have had an abscess burst out at the top by the coronet causing the dip. Are you treating for mud fever continuously without it clearing up for a year? Because if you are that's not normal, in those circumstances I recommend trying a different method to treat it to whatever you're currently doing. You could try feeding echinacea too (it's a herb) to boost his immune system, I find it helps my horse recover quicker from mud fever in winter.