HOOFCARE
TACKLING HOOF CRACKS:
FROM THE GROUND UP
A
s horse owners, we’ve probably all had a horse with a hoof crack at some time or another. Usually, the cracks, chips and dings you find on your horse’s hoof walls will be harmless blemishes. However, sometimes a hoof crack may be a serious problem and can lead to lameness. Other times a persistent crack may be a sign of chronic trouble and in a worst-case scenario, a deep crack may provide an entryway for potentially life-threatening infections inside the horse’s foot. FormaHoof is a liquid fit, reusable mould process that is giving owners, vets, farriers and equine podiatrists a highly effective way to halt cracks in their tracks. FormaHoof offers instant comfort and relief to the horse, immediately protects and prevents further damage, while also providing a stable platform for support, allowing healing to commence.
Russian Roulette – a cracking case with a successful outcome Hoof cracks can have a wide range of causes - from dry, brittle feet to chronic conditions such as laminitis, to bacterial infection. Injury and trauma are another common cause and in severe cases can cause extreme pain that may require a long rehab and recovery period. Russian Roulette, AKA Win, is a horse in Queensland, Australia who sustained a severe hoof injury when he stood on a stump while galloping around his paddock in a thunderstorm. Win was in severe pain as the crack travelled up into his coronary band and the internal sensitive tissues were exposed, posing a great threat for bacterial attack and infection. With a hoof crack such as this, the first priority is to tackle the structural damage to the hoof caused by the injury and to apply support. As horses are large, heavy animals that are
Russian Roulette sustained a severe hoof injury during turnout that caused immense pain and could have been extremely slow and difficult to heal.
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standing or moving most of the day, preventing further damage is crucial. However, until now this has been an enormous challenge. Not only is a traditional shoe extremely difficult to apply for severe cracks because of the extensive damage to the hoof, custom fabrication of a device that would offer the required support could delay treatment dramatically. In the interim, the horse would have to be kept largely immobile to prevent further structural damage, while the risk of bacterial infection would remain a great threat. Fortunately for Win, FormaHoof offers a highly effective solution to serious hoof injuries such as these. Firstly, getting a horse protected by a FormaHoof application is quick and easy, providing instant support, protection and stability to the injured hoof and keeping it protected while healing and recovery takes place. Secondly, FormaHoof allows medication
With FormaHoof, the missing hoof area can be filled completely, medication affixed securely in place (under the application) and the horse can now can move around naturally with its rebuilt hoof.
to be applied over the injured area, keeps it in place for the life of the application, while also keeping the hoof clean and preventing the entry of dirt, bacteria or other potentially harmful material. These benefits, combined with the fact that FormaHoof gives the perfect, tailored fit every time, are exactly why FormaHoof is emerging as the preferred solution for serious hoof problems. For Russian Roulette, and other horses that may have suffered serious hoof injury, using FormaHoof reduces pain, results in far lower stress levels, allows for a faster recovery process and ultimately a reduction in total treatment cost because only 4-5 visits should be required and the FormaHoof Mould is reusable time and again, with only the FormaHoof AP resin material to consider as an overhead. It is also important to note that the FormaHoof AP material is specifically designed to flex and move in much the same way as a natural hoof, so the horse feels no rigidity with the application on.
This final image shows Win after a 5-week cycle in FormaHoof. You can see good growth and overall shape as the FormaHoof application has protected the hoof from any wear or damage during the cycle.
