PrintThough proper repair techniques can be an integral part of the process, long-term resolution of most quarter cracks requires a close look at the primary cause of the defect—foot dysfunction....
Thanks to his wins in two legs of the Triple Crown, Big Brown and his hooves frequented media headlines, introducing legions of lay people to the term “quarter crack” as his team worked to address the hoof issues affecting the horse.
While quarter cracks are not uncommon in performance horses, few horse owners have the resources to fly in a hoof repair specialist like Big Brown’s Ian McKinlay. But take heart—the most important factor in healing most quarter cracks isn’t fancy stitching and patch work—it’s identifying and fixing its underlying causative agents in the structure of the hoof.
Quarter cracks can result from a variety of issues related to hoof conformation, management practices or injury, including: long toes and underrun heels; short shoeing; upright feet with high stacked heels; or an injury to the coronary band or infection beneath the hoof wall.
“The main cause of quarter cracks is dysfunctional heel structure. When the heel position is underrun, it pushes the hoof wall up proximally and interferes with the collateral cartilage, which is probably how quarter cracks occur [mechanically],” explained Dr. Scott Morrison, equine podiatrist and co-owner of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky. “In a normal foot, every time it hits the ground and bears weight, the collateral cartilages, which are right above the hoof in the quarter region, adduct or open up.
