I've recently been called to trim a horse and noticed that the hoof on the off-side front has separated from the coronet front by about 3 inches. After pointing out this problem to the owners, they told me that the horse was totally lame about a week prior and it's now sound and putting full weight on the foot. There's no sign of infection, and during trimming the horse shows no signs of discomfort. There's a lot of movement in the separation opening and you can see a sensitive area that appears to be healthy.

IN A SURVEY on how shoers work with equine veterinarians conducted by American Farriers Journal staffers during last winter’s 2003 American Farrier’s Association convention, 53 percent of the farriers indicated certain vets call for help on a serious shoeing or footcare problem.

Up until now, there has been only limited success in managing founder and hoof wall crack concerns.