One Minute Discussions #52

Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care

TRAUMATIC CRACKS

This horse was in my care and was improving but owner decided to take another approach in managing his crack so I didn’t end up seeing how his crack looked afterwards. I took the photo mid trim.

I do see that these injury/trauma cracks can be well managed! Couple of thoughts on how exactly it’s done.

If the crack is fresh and there’s still blood and exposed live tissue it’s best to keep it in a clean environment and in a hospital bandage until the tissues cornify and heal. Change the bandage daily and keep the hoof in a boot with soft padding.

For cracks like in the picture below I prefer to debride them, meaning not dig away anything too aggressive but simply remove excess material that may get caught and act as too much leverage. Clean out any dirt that may be packed in the injured area, manage any flares in other parts of the foot and soak the hoof in CleanTrax as often as possible to prevent bacterial invasion.

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Denys Antonenko