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Discussion on Horizontal crack at coronary band
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 29, 2004 - 9:25 pm:
It's always somethin'. Levi, my 4yo has one hoof that always has a crack in it. Underneath there is a like an oval divet in the toe. He also had a horizontal crack that has finally grown out. I just looked at him tonight, and there is another crack started at the coronary band right above where the other one was. I just had the farrier out and she said to put some coppertox in the hole on his toe. The coronary bands on all 4 feet are white and flaky looking. Now I am worried about the white line disease thing. Does that just happen in one foot. It seems like it is chalky like around the rim underneath, but my other horses seem to be a bit chalky too. I have read all the archive articles and Dr. O's article. My farrier did not say anything ,she just trims them every 6 weeks. If he is on a high quality alfalfa, grass hay and now pasture, could he be lacking calcium or something? I am so jealous of those of you who have veterinarian that you love and trust. All I have is you all  Who would tell me if it is this white line disease. Our veterinarians seem to shrug their shoulders alot!
Any way I can rule out the white line thing, or is this horizontal crack a sign of something?
thanks
sue
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Member:
Canderso
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Posted on Friday, Apr 30, 2004 - 6:57 am:
Hi Susan,
Not saying this is necessarily the same but a possibility:
Bailey had a horizontal crack this winter. My ever patient farrier told me it was from an abscess that had popped at the coronet. I was to watch the crack carefully to make sure it didn't LENGTHEN (as this could cause a chunk of foot to come off), but otherwise not to worry.
It grew out... no problem.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Apr 30, 2004 - 8:12 am:
More likely the changes you are seeing sound like exposure to a lot of water, has it been wet? If so you might try to manage so that the feet stay dryer see Care for Horses » Hoof Care » Care of the Hoof: an Overview.
DrO
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Friday, Apr 30, 2004 - 10:58 am:
We actually have been soooo dry that the surface of the ground looks like the moon, but lately we had a few downpours, and muddy. His stall has rubber mats, and is cleaned daily with woodchip bedding. I have heard that adding biotin? I think that is what it was called, can help to make his hoofs healthier, he also has crappy mane and tail hair, breaks off alot
Thanks
suz
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, May 1, 2004 - 9:00 am:
It is the recent wet that has turned the coronets white and made them soft. The generalized problems with hair and horn suggest to me your diet is a problem that is best addressed overall. What are you feeding, what is the quality, and how much are you giving. Also do you live in an area where deficiencies or excesses of minerals are common?
DrO
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Sunday, May 2, 2004 - 12:58 pm:
Dr. O, Levi is my 4yo. He is a great eater. He would eat anything that is not tied down. He is fed free choice grass hay all day all winter. All we have left is some blue grass, before they were on a brome/orchard grass mixture. At nite they get 3-4 flakes of rich alfalfa. We grew this alfalfa and it is probably 3rd cutting, from a newly planted field so the grass has not mixed in well yet. This probably weights 15 lbs. maybe, have not weighed it. Also 2 x day he is fed about 3 lbs grain that is a sweet feed. I have heard that we lack selenium in this area, but I am also afraid of adding any so not to have selenium toxicity. I have a apple flavored salt block in each stall, he doesn't eat his though. Once a week I give them a horse block which they love. My other horses have thick long manes. Levi seems to be the one with hoof and hair problems. Is it because he is still growing and I am maybe not supplying him with the right stuff. So much to learn. When I talk to our extension office here, they ask if it is a cow, or a pig. If it is horse they give me a handout that I don't understand.
The algebraic contortions of percentages of this and that only confuse me more.
should i be adding something to his feed?
thanks
suz
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, May 4, 2004 - 7:08 am:
How much alfalfa does he specifically get?
DrO
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Tuesday, May 4, 2004 - 3:19 pm:
Dr. O, I finally found a scale to take out to the barn. They get free fed grass hay all day, they are on pasture about 4 hours a day now. The alfalfa is probably really high protein, it is very green and leafy. I weighed what I give him at night, it is between 10-12 lbs per night. His sweet feed is 12 % protein 3 lbs 2 x day.
Again he is a 4 year old. They have a salt block outside, and he has a mineral salt block in his stall but he does not eat it. No other additives
What do you think?????
thanks
sue
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, May 5, 2004 - 6:31 am:
Hmmm let's see, free choice grass or grass hay. 10 lbs high quality alfalfa at night and 6 lbs grain daily. Even in a selenium deficient area your alfalfa is a plant that concentrates selenium making a deficiency of this mineral unlikely. Your diet looks fine, in fact it seems quite rich.
Apparently there is something special about Levi that makes him different than the other horses and at 4 years old he really does not have any special nutrition issues over older horses. What breed, size, and condition is Levi? Does he work harder than the other horses? Can you think of anything different about Levi?
DrO
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Wednesday, May 5, 2004 - 10:23 am:
Levi, being my first "raised" baby, had him since he was 4 months old, is probably the most spoiled but otherwise not much difference in care. He is just going to be doing a lot of riding this year. Since I had another horse to ride, i was not in any hurry to push his bones into hard work. He has had very light riding in arena only last year. We are starting next week, weather permitting to start riding lessons. The hoof thing is only in his left front foot. His other feet seem normal. The only difference with this leg, is as a youngster, he apparently had a hairline fracture at his knee. This went undiagnosed till I finally DrOve him 2 hours to a horse vet who x-rayed. 5 other vets looked at his bump on his knee and said I was feeding too rich, not rich enough, blah blah. He was never lame, could this have anything to do with it. Should I be concerned with this recurring horizontal crack in the same location, in the coronary band. If it were an abscess, would he not be limping? Could it be that my farrier is not making his foot level, and the pressure is uneven or something? He is a quarter horse, in excellent weight, shiny coat, just ugly mane and tail. Should he be getting calcium or phosphorous to balance out the high protien? Sorry for all the questions, but I keep trying to learn to get it right? Thanks
suz
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, May 6, 2004 - 8:49 am:
I see nothing wrong with your diet and there is plenty of calcium / phosphorous in the alfalfa and rest of the diet. If the rest of the coat looks great the mane and tail may just be a genetic thing, kind of like a Appaloosa Susan. However if the hairs are broken this suggests rubbing so check out, Equine Diseases » Skin Diseases » Overview of Scratching & Rubbing.
Without seeing the crack it is hard to judge the significance. Perhaps a picture might help us. In the mean time for causes of hoof cracks and ways to diffentiate some of them see, Equine Diseases » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Poor Horn Quality: problems with the wall and soles.
DrO
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