Split hoof - opinions please!

Spot_the_Risk

Spot_the_Risk

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Have a look at this horror! I've just bought this gelding, he over two years old and has been running out on soft moorland all his life - and quite obviously has never had his feet looked at. I've emailed my farrier with pics, but I'd love to know others opinions and what will actually help this.

All pics are of the same hoof - off fore. The other three feet don't have the splits, just the rubbish shape.

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I think a good trim to remove that flare and a ^ shape cut at the base of the crack to reduce pressure along with a good diet and that will hopefully grow out. :)
 
That's what I'm hoping, but realistically the split goes right up to the coronet... poor lad. He's still sound on it, but our ground is very hard and I'm going to leave him in (we have a big barn which he's loose in) until the farrier has done his best. Fingers crossed eh!
 
It's what I call a "fold" crack - can you see that there is a smaller secondary crack a bit under half an inch back, and that the split at the top suddenly deviates to the matching place on the coronet. There's a good chance that if your farrier dug that crack out (I wouldn't, personally, then it will slant backwards inside the hoof, like a "flap" if that makes any sense?

Once your farrier trims off that big deviation, which I have seen happen with horses who actually want their foot ground passive at the quarter, then the chances are high that it will go back to just looking like a line in the hoof, or it may even heal up altogether.

What's above the foot??? Is he nice???
 
Should have said - my farrier has seen the pics, and says he's seen a lot worse, there's no blood and he's not lame so hopefully it won't be too difficult to sort out. Thanks for your input everyone, and cptrays professional help. Having seen that stapled hoof, I am feeling a bit happier!

By a bit of luck, I've found out that the dams of Peter and Tinner (pic below) are full sisters, which makes them cousins (different sires). If Peter turns out anywhere near as nice a personality as Tinner then I've made a good choice.

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Spot_the_Risk said:
Should have said - my farrier has seen the pics, and says he's seen a lot worse, there's no blood and he's not lame so hopefully it won't be too difficult to sort out. Thanks for your input everyone, and cptrays professional help. Having seen that stapled hoof, I am feeling a bit happier!

By a bit of luck, I've found out that the dams of Peter and Tinner (pic below) are full sisters, which makes them cousins (different sires). If Peter turns out anywhere near as nice a personality as Tinner then I've made a good choice.
Click to expand...

I'm not a pro, I'm just lucky that I do a bit more work with my barefooters than most people. Glad to help though. This was the crack that healed up on mine, also a fold crack. It disappeared altogether, and it was unstable and moved as he shifted weight on it while just eating from a bucket :eek: This horse was one which needed the quarters ground passive on the hind feet.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LiHmDr5IsNM/TeaaQAPp6rI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/W5I_kJJJBWY/s320/17SEP010.JPG

peter looks like a real good sort! Tinner is grand too.
 
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