Hoof cracking problem???

Hi,


I have a 1/2 perceron cross that is at my farm for my dad to ride once or twice a week. anyway,she has very short feet because she was neglected and they got all chipped out and long. So we trimmed them, but she is not shod. Her feet now always get cracks in them between farrier visits. Sometimes it makes her lame a little so i am sorta worried. I have the farrier out every 6 weeks to do her feet. I would prefer not to shoe her since she sometimes hits herself and is a trail horse so it is hard for her to wear boots (plus it is expencive, not that i wouldn't do it if it was nessisart!!) any advice would be appreciated!! thanx

Hoof cracking problem???
Hi,


Have been discussing this with my farrier as I too have unshod horses. His answers were a hoof hardener that can be found at most equine stores (not sure where you are so can't suggest anything at the moment) and a simple trick with a file.





He uses a coarse file to make a slight groove across the top of the split. This stops the crack running further. It is similar to the way you stop a crack running in metal by drilling a hole at the end.





If a simple groove doesn't stop it then he files a diamond shape at the top of the split with the angled sides running down to the top of the crack.





Take care not to cut too deep into the hoof as this would clearly cause pain.





Best of luck





Stephen
Reply:they make hoof supplements and hoof conditioners that you can feed or apply directly to the horses hoof that helps with the cracking. You can usually find these products at horse stores or farm supply stores.





http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?...


http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?...


http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?...


http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?...
Reply:Sorry but if you have a horse that has problems with hoof cracks it is very necessary that she have shoes on if even just long enough to make the hoofs healthy again, also are you using hoof flex everyday to add moister to the hooves. You must condition them everyday if possible and do not ride her until the cracks get better. Sorry we had a mare that had bad fett we had to have shoes done every 4 weeks!!!! But after her feet got better we could go longer and sometime we did not have to shoe her. Also the shoe will protect her feet better for trail riding
Reply:I know your using hoof dressing but I find that most aren't as good as they let on (I tried a lot). I now use a product called Hoof Flex and I apply it one - two times a day depending how dry it is out side.


Or/And


check out gottaluvlabs web link I'm a big believer in it





Good Luck





additional info


Hoof Flex encourages hoof growth, it well help grow out those soft hooves. When i got my Appendix QH he had the same problem (because of neglect)


Gottaluvlabs I'm soory I didn't mean to give you thumbs down I ment to give you thumbs up
Reply:put a box of JELLO in his food....this works and will make the hoofs strong and healthy
Reply:One of the best things to use is formaldehyde mixed with copper crystals. We call it bluestone and we used it for TB weanling and yearling sales prep so that they would walk out well and not be foot sore without shoes with all the repeated showings. Works so well and is very cheap to make. Just apply with a paint brush, wear gloves and don't get it on the hair. Makes the feet hard as nails and keeps them in good shape.
Reply:My farrier has put my horse on a special diet. Well, kind of. I have a really good farrier who tests all products on his own animals before suggesting them to anyone. I have an American Thoroughbred, a breed notorious for weak hoof wall. Now, I'm not suggesting your horse has this same problem, but it might help. Try getting either Horseshoers Secret or grand hoof. Grand hoof is the better of the two, but the more expensive. They help build a stronger hoof wall, not thicker, because that can't be done, but it will make the hoof denser and less likely to collapse or crack. Also because it is so hot and dry here, I use a paint on hoof conditioner. There are also supplements you can feed your horse (I think corn oil might be one of them). Horseshoers Secret comes in pellet form and Grand Hoof comes in powder. Though Grand Hoof is more expensive, it does last you a long time since you aren't feeding a large amount of the concentrate powder to your horse. My Horseshoers Secret works really well and last at least a month with the average size bucket. You should be able to get either at your local feed store. Hope that helps. (It would be a good idea since you don't want to do shoes, also, ask your farrier about barefeet trims, I don't know much about them, but I've heard they are a certain way of trimming the hoof of horses that are trail ridden but not shod.)
Reply:You said you're putting dressing on but which kind are you putting on? Make sure it doesn't have pine tar in it as that dries them out. I suggest using Hoof Heal by Cut Heal. It moisturizes and works like a dream! I used this on a mare that we took the shoes off because I prefer going natural on their feet. (She had shoes her whole riding career and I took them off, used this and she had better feet then with the shoes.) She was rode on gravel roads and had cracks from dry feet with her shoes. While using the Hoof Heal, take a rasp and file a line parralel to the ground above the crack. This stops the crack from going further up. Good luck :)
Reply:Your horse needs shoes. Why are her feet so short if shes no longer abused and the farrier comes out on a regular basis? Let her feet grow out a little bit and this might help the problem. Just because your farrier is worried about her loosing the strength her hooves once had is not an excuse to not shoe her. She obviously doesn't have the strength in her hooves that she once had because she was abused. My older horse used to have for shoes in the summer and then have them off in the winter. My other horse however has to have four shoes all year round because he needs corrective shoeing. I would definetly consider shoeing her, also if she hits her self put bell boots on her. One of my horses(the one with four shoes) is VERY clumsy and has scars from where he has stepped on himself. He has four bell boots on and it has not been an issue since. They make bell boots in draft sizes so you should be fine. Goodluck and I hope everything works out!
Reply:get a farrier. But if thats not possible vaseline is a very good moisturizer. It will help prevent them but will not help the cracks he already has.
Reply:You can use the Power Horse Naturally Chelated Trace Minerals it is an organic and patented product to treat laminitis and work perfect as a hoof growth factor. You will find it at www.animalpowersource.com
Reply:you might want to consider getting her shod, and as I recall, there are some supplements that you can put her that might aid in this.
Reply:I would recommend not shoeing your horse, you'll only drag out the problem. Yes, it would be an immediate fix, but as soon as the shoes are removed, the problem would resume.





You should consider a 'natural hoof trim'. I'm giving you a link to how this is done that you may want to read and also pass on to your farrier. This has worked on many horses for me and I have absolutely no issues. Read the articles (multiple pages) and let us know what you think. Afterall, if it doesn't work for your horse (which I'm sure it will) you can always resort to shoes later on.





Good luck!



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