This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Hoof Disease Topics Not Covered Above »
  Discussion on Quarter crack floated - can it still cause pain?
Author Message
Member:
Brnrat

Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 1:13 pm:

13 yo Trakehner mare with ongoing quarter crack LH near heel area due to trauma as a youngster. Coronary band was damaged at that time and hoof has grown out irregularly since then. Crack began to widen and travel upwards into coronary band in the last 6 months. Coincidentally she was layed up for suspensory injury at the time and at stall rest with handwalking only. Noticed that she began to stand with this foot cocked and unweighted for most of the day. Farrier floated the crack and she had immediate relief as evidenced by normal stance pattern at rest. In the interim we had begun legging her up very slowly and she now is working 45 minutes with 15 minutes total of trot work, no canter. The crack has widened and not grown down. She is again exhibiting grade 3/5 lameness, even though crack is floated. Nerve blocks up to stifle have been done and nothing blocked out. Hind end nuclear scintigraphy performed last week was essentially negative except for small uptake in front of pastern LH. My question is, even though this quarter crack is floated(but still extends into the coronary band) could it still be causing her pain with increasing work?
Thank you.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 6:43 am:

Yes it COULD still be painful when floated BUT since the lameness did not block out in the foot, it is not the cause of your lameness.
DrO
Member:
Brnrat

Posted on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 2:10 pm:

Thank you, Dr. O. Examined crack more carefully and indeed there are points where shoe is meeting the hoof and cracked portion buckling under pressure. Further complicating the issue is that my mare also has had a few episodes of locking stifle LH. Never any pain, heat or effusion of the stifle joint on examination. X-rays and scintigraphy of that joint were negative. Her blocks were done before we floated her heel, approximately 3 months ago. After floating she went sound and stayed sound til now. Is it possible that blocking of the foot "didn't take???"
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 7:30 am:

It is possible but it usually is started at the foot and worked upward, each step up "reinforces" the lower block so several blocks would have to be missed. Also it is easy to check a block to see if it is in force.

It is easy to check a quarter crack for pain, finger pressure on them will usually make a horse jump badly when they are painful, watch that you are not kicked. If there was that type finding, I would be more suspicious.
DrO
Member:
Brnrat

Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 8:11 pm:

Dr. O, thank you very much for the information about the blocks and how they work, especially the reinforcement. At the time the blocks were done, she was toe stabbing and grade 3/5 lame. It is my very humble opinion that it was her stifle bothering her at that time. Her lameness improved after floating of the crack and continued work. She was actually better in work. I think this is a separate lameness issue.

Follow up x-rays today of fetlock joint reveal normal joint spaces, no arthritis or bone chips, and are essentially normal with the exception of some very minor roughening of the sesamoid bone which vet says is probably insignificant - perhaps possible sesamoiditis. This horse has done nothing more than 45 minutes under saddle mostly at the walk with 15 minutes at the trot (at a legging up rate of additional 5 minutes of trot work per week), no canter work and no turn out for upwards of 18 months due to her suspensory injury. How she could come down with sesamoiditis or a suspensory desmitis in this limb is beyond me. Any comments would be most welcome. (My own vet is out of town and I have a follow up appt next week.) I
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2005 - 6:53 am:

Did you check to see if the crack was painful to pressure?
DrO
Member:
Brnrat

Posted on Thursday, May 26, 2005 - 12:08 pm:

Yes, I finally got up the nerve to press very gently on the crack and there was no response elicited (after what you said about her kicking me, it made me chicken to press any harder!) But the floated heel is buckling under pressure from somewhere. If the clearance between the floated heel and shoe is extremely thin, would it be possible that the shoe and heel would contact during more concussive work, i.e., the trot??
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, May 26, 2005 - 7:35 pm:

Geez Kristie, pull the leg forward and set it down near the front. Now reach for it while squatting by the front legs and out of swatting range. Someone you trust needs to be holding the horse. Now reach down and put pressure on the coronet well away from the crack ,determine how much pressure it takes to get a reaction. Do a second normal spot, perhaps on a front foot. Now go back to the hind foot and check the crack: if it is painful the horse will become more reactive the more you fool with it while if it is not he will become less reactive.
DrO
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC