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Skip Navigation LinksAll Horse Topics > Lameness (Hoof) and Shoeing > Hoof Cracks


Articles ( * = TheHorse.com members only )Date Posted
Hoof Wall Separations and Quarter Cracks  *
Farrier Ian McKinlay, who received some notoriety in 2008 for his work patching Big Brown's feet, discussed his experiences with patching wall separations and quarter cracks so high-performance horses can go on with their work at the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) convention, held Dec. 6-10 in San Diego, Calif. "Today we ... Read full story
 5/5/2009
Quality Road Quarter Crack Patched, Derby Decision Coming   *
Quality Road, a contender for the Kentucky Derby, returned from a mile and three-quarter gallop on the Belmont Park training track April 26 with a tinge of blood from a newly-patched quarter crack, but his connections remain optimistic he will make the May 2 "Run for the Roses." A five-furlong breeze Monday morning will be the determining factor ... Read full story
 4/27/2009
Quarter Crack Takes Quality Road Out of Derby Contention  *
Quality Road, who figured to be among the top choices for Saturday's Kentucky Derby will not start in the Run for the Roses, it was confirmed Monday morning by Chris Baker, farm manager of Edward Evans' Spring Hill Farm. "There was some tenderness in the foot this morning and he's not 100%. (Trainer) Jimmy (Jerkens) wasn't comfortable breezing him, ... Read full story
 4/27/2009
Big Brown Farrier Managing Quarter Crack in New Derby Contender   *
Farrier Ian McKinlay, who was in the news last year dealing with Big Brown's quarter crack prior to the Belmont Stakes, is back on the Triple Crown trail once again, treating a lesser quarter crack suffered by Quality Road in the Florida Derby. McKinlay said he's optimistic Quality Road will be able to make the Kentucky Derby. The main priority right ... Read full story
 4/7/2009
Owner Reflects on Big Brown's Injury, Career   *
One minute, Mike Iavarone was all smiles after watching Big Brown work a sharp six furlongs in 1:12 4/5 over the Aqueduct turf course in company with stablemate Kip Deville on Oct. 13, and the next he was announcing the colt's retirement. The excitement of the impending showdown with Curlin in the Breeders' Cup Classic gave way to the agony of seeing ... Read full story
 10/14/2008
Big Brown Continues Triple Crown Quest   *
Big Brown hit the Belmont Park track early June 5 with a morning jog around the sloppy and sealed main track about 5:45 EDT. With Michelle Nevin aboard, the colt traveled through the paddock, out of the tunnel, and onto the main track. Nevin said afterward, "He was feeling pretty good, after just walking (June 4). It's a good thing. The fact he had ... Read full story
 6/5/2008
Big Brown's Hoof Patch on Hold Until Friday  *
Big Brown's cracked left front hoof is improving with each passing day, so trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. is waiting until Friday to have a patch applied. Hoof specialist Ian McKinlay suggested putting the patch on Saturday, the morning of the Belmont Stakes, but Dutrow doesn't want to mess with it on what could be a history-making day. "This is just ... Read full story
 6/3/2008
Big Brown to Work Tuesday Without Hoof Patch   *
Trainer Rick Dutrow said Sunday afternoon that Big Brown will not be fitted with a patch on Monday as originally scheduled and will work on Tuesday without one. "I'm going to breeze him just the way he is and give him more time to let Ian (hoof specialist McKinlay) put the patch on the day before the race," Dutrow said. "The longer we wait the better. ... Read full story
 6/2/2008
Readers Respond: Challenging Feet   *
More than 1,000 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, "Do you think Big Brown's hoof issues might be a factor in his bid for the Triple Crown?" Results were as follows: No: 75.35% (761) Yes: 24.65% (249) Read about his feet in: Big Brown's Feet Not So Bad, Farriers Say. Results of weekly polls from TheHorse.com ... Read full story
 6/2/2008
Big Brown Quarter Crack 'Not a Setback'  *
Anyone following Triple Crown races this year knows there's a lot of controversy about the soundness of Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner Big Brown's feet. But despite a third hoof problem in his short career--a quarter crack that showed up in his left front foot last Friday--his consulting farrier/repair expert Ian McKinlay isn't concerned. "This ... Read full story
 5/29/2008
Big Brown's Hoof Shows Improvement   *
Ian McKinlay, the farrier who has been treating Big Brown's quarter crack, said Monday morning the colt's left front foot has shown improvement and he and trainer Rick Dutrow remain confident the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will not be hampered by the injury. Big Brown, owned by IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr., is slated to make a run to ... Read full story
 5/27/2008
Big Brown Returns to Track  *
Big Brown was back on the track a day earlier than expected, and trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said he looks as good as ever--maybe even better. The Triple Crown hopeful went out for a 1 1/2-mile jog around Belmont Park on a rainy Tuesday morning, the first time since Friday the unbeaten colt was out exercising since a quarter crack was discovered on the ... Read full story
 5/27/2008
Big Brown Has 'Slight' Quarter Crack  *
Big Brown, who will be seeking the coveted Triple Crown in the June 7 Belmont Stakes (gr. I), has a "slight" quarter crack on the inside of his left front foot, trainer Rick Dutrow said Sunday, May 25. The colt did not go to the track Saturday or Sunday. Dutrow said he noticed a small spot on the colt's foot Friday afternoon and notified hoof lameness ... Read full story
 5/26/2008
Big Brown's Feet Not So Bad, Farriers Say  *
(PHOTOS/VIDEO) Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown clearly owns some of the Thoroughbred industry's fastest feet. But many question their soundness, fueled by reports of layoffs, quarter cracks, and special shoes. His current farriers Tom Curl and Ian McKinlay gave us the real story on his feet, special pads, and how he went from stall rest to the Roses ... Read full story
 5/16/2008
Derby Winner Big Brown in Good Shape the Day After   *
Speaking to reporters on the Churchill Downs backside the day after Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby, trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. was cautiously optimistic regarding his starter's chances in the Preakness Stakes. "I really liked him in (the Derby) because everything was perfect," said Dutrow. "Now things start to change. Maybe there's gonna be some hotshot ... Read full story
 5/4/2008
Correcting Shelly Feet  *
Shelly, crumbly feet can be a challenge for horses and their owners. The feet break down too readily if the horse is barefoot, and they are unable to hold nails if he's shod. In this article we'll look at several causes and potential treatments for shelly feet. Mitch Taylor, an American Farrier's Association (AFA) Certified Journeyman Farrier and ... Read full story
 3/1/2007
Hoof Cracks: Causes and Repair  *
Your horse's feet are some of the most important structures contributing to his performance ability, and most people do what they can to keep them healthy. Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong with your horse that can cause hoof cracks to form. Maybe he pulled a shoe in the pasture or grabbed his heel during a competition. Perhaps conditions have ... Read full story
 5/1/2006
Managing Hoof Problems in Horses  *
Just about every horse out there has what we might call a hoof problem on at least one of his four feet. It might be a simple mismatch that might not really be a problem, or it might be much more serious. In any case, hoof problems, regardless of scope, need to be managed properly to maximize the horse's soundness, comfort, and usefulness to you. The ... Read full story
 6/1/2004
Managing Thin, Shelly Feet  *
Poor genetics, environment, nutrition, and foot care are the main causes of thin, shelly feet according to Ken Marcella, DVM, and farrier Jaye Perry. Marcella co-owns Chattahoochee Equine in Canton, Ga., and Perry, a farrier based in Cumming, Ga., has a large clientele of hunter-jumper and endurance horses as well as pleasure horses. Both men have ... Read full story
 3/1/2004
Equine Welfare Award Presented  *
Dayton O. Hyde, founder of a South Dakota wild-horse sanctuary, is the 2002 recipient of the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) equine welfare award, the Lavin Cup. Named for AAEP past president A. Gary Lavin, VMD, the award is presented annually to a non-veterinary individual or organization that has demonstrated exceptional compassion ... Read full story
 1/15/2003
Healing Hoof Cracks   *
Hoof cracks are a common occurrence in the feet of many domesticated horses, and they can range in severity from a minor blemish to a cause of serious lameness. Causative factors can vary widely, ranging from injury to imbalance of the foot. Generally speaking, minor hoof cracks are of little concern to the owner, farrier, and veterinarian, while serious ... Read full story
 12/1/2002
Hoof Dressings: What Studies Show   *
Hoof dressings aren't always what they're cracked up to be--at least not in the opinions of some experts. Ilka P. Wagner, DVM, owner of Equine Veterinary Services (Texas), and Susan Kempson, BSc, PhD, senior lecturer in Preclinical Veterinary Sciences in the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh, have studied the ... Read full story
 10/1/2002
Hoof Wall Repair  *
Being a farrier is an ancient calling. From the time man domesticated the horse, removed it from its natural habitat, changed its diet, and put it to use in competitive endeavors on a variety of surfaces, hoof care has become a critical aspect of equine ownership. For 2,000 years or more, man has utilized horseshoes to protect the equine foot from ... Read full story
 10/15/2001
Hoof Preparation Products  *
Walk into any tack store and you can smell the hoof care section before you even get there. Pine tar, petroleum, formaldehyde, and a long list of secret (and often smelly) ingredients tickle your nostrils. "Oh, well, it's good for him," you sigh, remembering how many pairs of jeans you've ruined with hoof ointment, and the time you accidentally pushed ... Read full story
 10/9/2001
Hoof Repair  *
Your show jumper lands off a five-foot vertical and is cutting right, thinking a few fences ahead. The footing is just a little bit sticky from the rain storm last night, but not to worry--you have a nice set of those European show jumping studs securely set in the shoes. As the leading foot grabs the ground, the shoe seats firmly in the muck, but ... Read full story
 9/13/2001
The Barefoot Horse: Romance vs. Reality  *
Most of us had a childhood that involved childrens' horse books and the wonderful, romantic images they conjured: A magnificent horse--most likely a black stallion--galloping free, au natural. Nostrils flaring, legs charging, mane blowing, tail flowing. It's hard to set aside that dreamy fantasy, and as adults, particularly in this era of "natural ... Read full story
 9/12/2001
A Step Ahead--Tips on Regular Trimming and Shoeing  *
At one point in my life, I decided to learn about farriery. I enrolled in an intensive 10-day short- course. During the day, we would fashion shoes, trim horses, and when the instructor thought we were ready, attach the shoes to an equine foot. Each evening was devoted to classroom sessions. We discussed, debated, and learned. One evening the debate ... Read full story
 6/1/2001
Club Foot Concerns  *
Club feet might be one of the most common growth problems in young horses. Affecting youngsters primarily between birth and 6 months of age, the club foot actually is a flexural deformity of the distal interphalangeal joint (coffin joint) caused by a shortening of the musculotendinous unit of the deep digital flexor tendon. As a result, the hoof capsule ... Read full story
 4/1/2001
Feeding The Feet  *
Hoof supplements are big business. It only takes a cursory glance around any tack shop or feed store to realize that they're everywhere. They've got catchy names and labels, and lists of ingredients as long as your arm, all purported to help your horse grow tougher, shinier, more durable hooves. Poor hoof quality is a complaint common to the owners ... Read full story
 9/1/2000
Problem Feet  *
It takes nearly a year for the hoof to grow down from the coronary band to the ground. Therefore, anything that happens to the horse -- whether specific trauma to the foot or a systemic problem -- can affect the health of the hoof for a long time. Add into that equation that many horses genetically have feet that are not equipped to handle the day-to-day ... Read full story
 1/1/2000
Hoof Wall Wonders  *
The topic for this month's "Step by Step" is white line disease. Nothing would please me more than to write a helpful, informative article on white line disease for horse owners, but at this point, that article would have to be very, very short. We know very little about white line disease. Many people have ideas about what it is and how to treat it, ... Read full story
 11/1/1998
Where Did All The Farriers Go? The AFA Convention  *
The same message echoed from a thousand telephone answering machines across the country in February, and if you happened to have a horse throw a shoe that week, you were in trouble. "Hi, I'll be away until March first attending the American Farrier's Association Convention in Rochester, New York..." HOOFCARE & LAMENESS/DAVE FARLEY New ... Read full story
 7/1/1998
Understanding Hoof Cracks  *
Hoof cracks can be as simple as something that merely irritates the observer from an aesthetic point of view to something so serious that the horse is dead lame and unable to perform. Hoof cracks come in a variety of types and sizes, and they originate from a variety of causes that can range from something as serious as laminitis to something as basic ... Read full story
 6/1/1998
Advice for the Hoofsore  *
Q: What is the relationship between chronic, severe thrush and my horse's contracted heels? A: Thrush and contracted heels often go hand-in-hand...but by the time a veterinarian or farrier is called to help the horse, it is hard to tell which came first, particularly because so much "ordinary" thrush goes untreated. Some owners think horses' feet ... Read full story
 11/1/1997
The Art of Therapeutic Shoeing  *
Michael J. Wildenstein, resident farrier at Cornell University's large animal clinic, has approximately 400 different types of therapeutic shoes hanging on the wall of his clinic. Each one, he says, was made for a particular lameness or disease problem to fit an individual horse: aluminum shoes for a fatiguing jumper, plastic shoes for an endurance ... Read full story
 11/1/1997




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