Split hoof on 4yo

Batgirl

Batgirl

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Hi guys, me again, been to see a very nice 4yo (just backed and being ridden away) really liked him, gentle giant, happy on top of him, everything I want. Owners happy for me to have him 5* vetted HOWEVER one of his front hooves has a split, if you look at it from the side it goes from the bottom along the hoof line right to the coronet band and has about an inch of hoof behind it to the back of the hoof. He is bare all round

The hoof isn't warm, he isn't lame on it, would it pass a vetting with the defect???
 
Our 4yr old had a big crack in his foot when we bought him. It was mentioned on his vetting, but I had already decided that it didn't bother me. Good shoeing and treatments has more or less sorted him, although it does come back now and again.. His didn't touch the coronet quite though.

Could you take a photo of it, or get them to e mail a photo of it to you so that you could discuss it with your farrier?
 
Our unshod boy had cracks in the front of all four feet, and passed a vetting with them. Found out later he had seedy toe in all four hooves, and the walls had flared. (and he had a touch of thrush) But six months later, and on a low sugar diet, he has lovely hooves, the seedy toe and thrush were soon cleared up and the good diet encouraged growth. There is just an inch and a half of shallow crack left.
 
Batgirl said:
Hi guys, me again, been to see a very nice 4yo (just backed and being ridden away) really liked him, gentle giant, happy on top of him, everything I want. Owners happy for me to have him 5* vetted HOWEVER one of his front hooves has a split, if you look at it from the side it goes from the bottom along the hoof line right to the coronet band and has about an inch of hoof behind it to the back of the hoof. He is bare all round

The hoof isn't warm, he isn't lame on it, would it pass a vetting with the defect???
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Hi there. I think you will be ok. If he is not lame and the hoof is not hot, then it sounds like it is superficial. The wall of the hoof is to protect the phananx which is the really important bit. I would say he just has brittle hoof. If he does pass the vet and you buy him, you can get some good omega3 hoof oil which will fix it in no time, you could all so try adding some cod liver oil to his feed too, that will all so give him a nice shiney coat. Good Luck!!
 
Splits can be easily fixed.

Even hooves with damage to the coronet manage just fine.

Quarter cracks (if that is what it is) tend to be a trimming issue, so they are easily fixed.
 
thanks guys, I feel reassured, it is the vetting that worries me as he is sound on it and no heat etc. My current guy is barefoot and used to have a crack but he is a loaner so no vetting was involved :)

I do love the horse :)
 
I don't think a crack will fail a horse. Our vetting said something like "feet need some attention" but overall the horse passed as suitable for what we wanted to do.

Edited to add, we have had him for over 5 years now and have never had a days lameness..
 
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We bought a young warmblood who had quarter cracks on both hinds, up into the coronet band, they are still there, 6 years later, despite careful shoeing and, more recently, trimming only. He also has them up the middle of the fronts and they have never gone either. The do not affect him in anyway and farrier believes it was damage done as a youngster underneath the coronet band and will probably never go now.
 
I bought a 3 yr old with larger cracks than the link above. I didn't have her vetted, just took a punt on her and she ended up just fine. She did have to have some rather expensive filler for about 6 months though.
 
Vets dont fail a horse as such, unless there is something serious that stops the vetting, they just give you a recommendation on its suitability for purpose, or not as the case may be. It is then up to you whether you buy it or not.

Something such as this needs to be discussed with the vet before he goes to see it, you can find out his views and put in yours, there should be no reason for the horse to be unable to do the job for you but may need a bit of tlc to improve its feet.

Finding a nice horse is hard enough, finding a perfect one impossible.
 
Batgirl said:
Wow, the one with the 'staple' looks pretty bad. His is one established line that is about 2 mm wide all the way up.
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LOOKED bad. It's looking great now. It just needed a chance to fix itself ;)

I can't imagine a crack would make it on the insurance company's radar.

Cracks can come and go benignly.
 
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