Horse Hoof Crack Rundown

Feet are the foundation of the horse everything starts from the bottom up.
There is more blood supply to the horses feet than to his brain says Raul J. Bras DVM a veterinarian and Certified Journeyman Farrier in the podiatry department at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington Ky. The hooves are vital living structures that must be taken care of. Think of the hoof as another organ in the horses body.
Both barefoot and shod horses can develop hoof cracks. Small hoof cracks and chipping around the bottom edges is not unusual in a barefoot hoof as it grows and the farrier can generally trim these cracks away.

Shod horses can develop hoof cracks around the nails if they arent placed properly. When a shod horse ends up with a deep crack in the hoof this may be more related to loadbearing issues than hoof growth. Hoof cracks shouldnt be ignored because problems can develop when the hoofs integrity is compromised.
Horse hoof cracks can open the barrier of the hoof capsule and allow bacteria in notes Bras. You can end up with a secondary problem if opportunistic bacteria enter and then you have an infection.
Seeking the Cause for Horse Hoof Cracks
The reason behind a hoof crack isnt always straightforward.
Horse hoof cracks can be secondary to something else says Bras who often sees cracks related to limb conformation. Realistically there is not a perfect horse but saying that hoof cracks are due to hereditary issues is a cop out because there are other factors besides conformation and genetics.
Horse hoof cracks reflect the quality of the hoof which is influenced by a number of factors including
Hoof care schedule
Footing and environment
Weather
Nutrition
Superficial horse hoof cracks are usually related to weather and environment says Bras.
The horses feet tend to mirror his environment. When

its overly wet the hoof can absorb too much moisture which makes it soft and more vulnerable to bruising abscesses and bacterial infection. A hoof that is overly dry becomes hard and brittle so it loses flexibility which can allow the wall to chip or break around the edges or if the horse is shod for nails to loosen.
Failure to maintain a regular hoof care schedule is often the cause of cracks as hooves get too long. All horses need regular hoof care yearround even if they arent being used or are barefoot.
When the horse hoof is allowed to grow