Problems with your horse hoof cracks should always be taken care of quickly. These issues can get worse if not fixed right away by your farrier. In fact hoof cracks can be very painful for your horse. However, some small cracks, usually vertical, are only a minor issue. Horizontal cracks an inch or less wide could be worse. In other words, it’s hard to tell. That’s why an experienced farrier should check them out. This type of damage indicates a minor, healed trauma to the coronary band and is quite common. These two issues are fairly harmless, but not all hoof injuries are the same.
Hoof Cracks
If you discover any of these issues when checking and cleaning your horses hooves, then you should get them fixed as soon as possible. If you notice vertical cracks at the bottom of the hoof that go around the bottom of the foot, this could be affecting the sole of your animal. Cracks that extend more than an inch up the hoof can be sign of a chronically unbalanced hoof.
Odd are you are great friends with your farrier, so you should work with them to find out the cause of this issue so that you can stop it from reoccurring. Remember the longer you waits to call your veterinarian and/or farrier the more damage can be done. Check out our local resources page if you need help finding a Colorado farrier. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.