I was so wanting to tell you to go for it! But after seeing the pictures of those cracks I wouldn’t touch him. Your money could be much better spent on a horse with better feet. My number one when I’m looking at a horse is their feet. No foot no horse. Those cracks are look very deep. I’d worry about damage to the lamini and the expense of even trying to fix those feet.
I agree with if you have a connection with this horse then really go for it. You can work with the feet and get them under control. Doesn’t sound like he is on the best diet and I’m sure with a change in diet things would improves. All that being said it all depends on what the vet and farrier say.
But I agree with what is being said above about confusing a true connection with desperately wanting a horse. The horses that I have had a true connection with have been the most amazing relationships I have ever had in my life. I’ve always know right away. The first moment I hit the saddle. The horse doesn’t have to be perfect. As a matter of fact on of the greatest relationships I ever had was with a 3/4 Qh 1/4 Saddlebred. The first moment I hit the saddle he reared up and I slid back on his butt that was followed by a buck and me going flying through the air. I was told for the fourth time he was completely crazy and would never be a hunter and I was so stupid for wanting to ride him. I took him for a walk around the ring and explained this was it. He would end up at the glue factory if he didn’t at least let me on his back. After that he did everything I ever asked him to do. Winning in the Hunter ring at 3’6". He got me through my moms death. He passed away 4 years ago from a heart problem. The same heart problem caused him to be retired at 14. I have no regrets because I had that connection. It was worth it.
[QUOTE=lalalaura107;7435999]
Hello all,
Here’s a link to my Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/117878794@N07/
I just uploaded the few pictures that I took this morning. Now you’ll be able to see what I mean about the cracks![/QUOTE]
After seeing those pics…don’t do it.
those feet seem to need a specialist.
I have seen a horse with a bad crack (it bled at times) getting specialty shoes and treatment (coronet band massage with a tooth brush, not sure how much it helped, I am sure it didn’t hurt) and eventually it grew out.
These cracks are BAD, and have been going on for a long time…
[QUOTE=Alagirl;7436185]
those feet seem to need a specialist.
I have seen a horse with a bad crack (it bled at times) getting specialty shoes and treatment (coronet band massage with a tooth brush, not sure how much it helped, I am sure it didn’t hurt) and eventually it grew out.
These cracks are BAD, and have been going on for a long time…[/QUOTE]
A specialist sounds expensive.
[QUOTE=lalalaura107;7436206]
A specialist sounds expensive.:/[/QUOTE]
If that is too expensive for you, walk away from this horse now!
He made it 2 years without cracks, I wonder what happened then.
I am a bit flummoxed at the state of his hooves.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen cracks that wide, I was thinking it was just crappy feet and bad care. Man…those are awful. And on such a young horse…
One of the cracks appears to go all the way up into the coronet band and looks like a quarter crack. Those reoccur and can lame the horse. Many are genetic, some are due to injury. Looks like the front of the hoof dishes in and there may be rings?? And the previous bout with white line which tends to reoccur even with a hoof resection?
I wouldn’t touch this one. I know you love him but…unless you are prepared to support him for the next 20+ even if he goes unsound for long periods or forever? Or have money for specialists with no guarantee of success? This would not be a smart buy for a younger person on a tight budget. Maybe if you have a forever place to keep him but even then…no.
Only a couple have mentioned it, so I’m going to echo it again. This horse is FOUR. And in full work, it sounds like. And with feet that look like that.
No horse on this planet matures fully until age 6. No a one. If he’s in a college schooling program, in full work, and is four, I can’t even imagine when he was started, which may mean his feet may be the least of his issues. With what they look like on the outside, the inside can’t have gone completely unscathed.
At best, it sounds like he’s had less-than-ideal and not very personalized care, which is sad to hear, especially since he belongs to a school. At worst, he could be a very expensive (and heartbreaking) train wreck that just hasn’t derailed yet.
The saying “No Hoof, No Horse” should never be overlooked. OP, I’m sorry to agree with the others who have said move on, but save yourself the heartache and vet bills and find a different horse.
My appendix’s cracks were that bad if not worse. To me, those hooves look like they need serious TLC and a different farrier. If during the school year you are stuck with the one who’s currently doing his hooves, then I would be a bit more hesitant. However, if he’s sound on them now (as my guy was on his!), then pulling the toe back, getting the hooves balanced, etc will be a 6-12 month process but if you do it slowly and correctly, you can probably resolve things. But if you’re going to be stuck with only the farrier doing him now as your school-year farrier, you’ll never them fixed.
WLD is not a huge crisis and I’m flummoxed that so many posters are acting like it’s the kiss of death! A White Lightning treatment once a week, keeping the hooves dry, and a regularly done, balanced trim will take care of that. I think you should consider pm-ing some of the resident farriers here (search for a barefoot thread and they’ll pop up). Rick, Tom, Patty, etc all are great at what they do and would likely be happy to give your their 2 cents worth. Heck, EqTrainer (who’s rarely active anymore) took over my guy’s hooves when his cracks were FUGLY and she’s a great resource. BTW–what is he eating? I had to really tweak Gus’s diet to get the hooves in shape so you may need to do the same thing.
I’ll try to dig up the truly scary pics of Gus’s hooves. But this was after the worst were resolving and we were down to the smaller splits: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150742755855029&set=a.10150723264095029.712026.789305028&type=3&theater FWIW, Gus was sound and jumping up to 3’ on his cracked hooves. He occasionally got keratex, but never a hoof supplement.
I’d love to see a real confirmation picture with his hooves not camoflaged by the dirt. My guess is that he’s put together decently and should make for a fun partner. Is he back at the knee?
[QUOTE=jen-s;7436413]
My appendix’s cracks were that bad if not worse. To me, those hooves look like they need serious TLC and a different farrier. If during the school year you are stuck with the one who’s currently doing his hooves, then I would be a bit more hesitant. However, if he’s sound on them now (as my guy was on his!), then pulling the toe back, getting the hooves balanced, etc will be a 6-12 month process but if you do it slowly and correctly, you can probably resolve things. But if you’re going to be stuck with only the farrier doing him now as your school-year farrier, you’ll never them fixed.
WLD is not a huge crisis and I’m flummoxed that so many posters are acting like it’s the kiss of death! A White Lightning treatment once a week, keeping the hooves dry, and a regularly done, balanced trim will take care of that. I think you should consider pm-ing some of the resident farriers here (search for a barefoot thread and they’ll pop up). Rick, Tom, Patty, etc all are great at what they do and would likely be happy to give your their 2 cents worth. Heck, EqTrainer (who’s rarely active anymore) took over my guy’s hooves when his cracks were FUGLY and she’s a great resource. BTW–what is he eating? I had to really tweak Gus’s diet to get the hooves in shape so you may need to do the same thing.
I’ll try to dig up the truly scary pics of Gus’s hooves. But this was after the worst were resolving and we were down to the smaller splits: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150742755855029&set=a.10150723264095029.712026.789305028&type=3&theater FWIW, Gus was sound and jumping up to 3’ on his cracked hooves. He occasionally got keratex, but never a hoof supplement.
I’d love to see a real confirmation picture with his hooves not camoflaged by the dirt. My guess is that he’s put together decently and should make for a fun partner. Is he back at the knee?[/QUOTE]
It isn’t a kiss of death, but you can’t approach it with ‘a specialist sounds expensive’!
Cracks take time and commitment to get rid of.
The bacteria causing white line can work their way far from the initial site sometimes and are sometimes difficult to get completely eradicated even under the best conditions under competent farrier care so it can keep coming back. To the point they remove most of the hoof and fashion a prosthetic in some cases…I have witnessed two over the years.
It looks like one crack has been opened up/cleaned out? More recently then 2 years ago?
That what it looks like and they do open them with white line and sometimes quarter cracks.
The quarter crack going into the coronet band concerns me more. Seen more of those and they are difficult to get rid of and can be cause by genetics, a mother with quarter cracks will often throw a foal who will be plagued by them ( remember Big Brown?).
I would like to see/read what some of our farriers have to say here. Hey, if OP wants to take him on, no problem. But I have concerns she does not understand what it will cost for upkeep plus the extra care from competent farriers, proper nutrition and the good hoof supplement. If she is on a tight budget and can only have one horse, this is a bit more of a gamble then I feel comfortable recommending.
Understsnd this is at OPs school? Does not speak to great overall management and care, least to me.
[QUOTE=Laurierace;7434598]
That sounds like a stretch for a QH with or without the feet.[/QUOTE]
I don’t know how you can say that without knowing the horse. My now 31 year old ranch style QH evented through Training Level with ease, schooled prelim, easily did jumper stuff up to 3’9". He packed my 12 year old butt over jumps up to 4’3" in the schooling ring just messing around and having fun. In the 23 years I’ve had him he’s been off one time due to an abscess. Absolutely the soundest, most awesome horse in the world. In general a halter bred QH may not be the best candidate for what OP wants to do but one bred for ranch work, cutting, etc are usually athletic powerhouses and absolutely capable of the OP’s goals. That attitude just seriously irks me because I’ve seen a ton of ranchy QH’s that were every bit as athletic as my old man.
OP - great advice here, sounds like you have some things to consider with the severity of the cracks. I hope everything works out.
[QUOTE=Alagirl;7436471]
Cracks tame time and commitment to get rid of.[/QUOTE]
Absolutely! But if he’s sound on them currently and if she has a better option for a farrier and if he otherwise passes a PPE from her vet and existing farrier and if she’s got some patience and willing to do weekly treatments that run 45 minutes, it’s not a huge crisis. At least in my book. Those hooves need major TLC and I bet just about any horse with feet that poorly shaped would be at risk for cracks. Are his bad–hell yes! But hooves grow and with good nutrition, better quality and more regular trimming/shoeing, and a little elbow grease, this is likely fixable. Is my former horse prone to have them come back–heck yes. If you feed him crap food, trim him wonky, or let him stomp at flies, then they recur easier. But just because they recur doesn’t mean they have to get really bad again.
OP–I’m not going to knock anyone else’s experience here and certainly some of these posters (findeight especially) have many more years experience than I do. So while I had success, it’s possible/probable that not everyone will. I free-leased Gus initially and he came with cracks. I made it my mission to get them fixed and I’m all kinds of mad stubborn. I grew up a lesson kid and later a working student on a 40+ horse hunter show barn and had never seen anything like his feet so I wasn’t a total newbie. I fired his long-time farrier, tried the barefoot thing (went through 3 bf trimmers), scoured COTH, googled like a fiend, consulted my vet and feed store guru, and then found one of the area’s best farriers and begged him to come to the farm for only one horse. It took me probably 3 years to get them to resolve, but I spent 2 years dicking around with the barefoot thing–which works for many horses but absolutely didn’t for mine. But by golly, I tried everything and eventually won. I’m not sure that most people would have been quite that stubborn–especially since he was sound and frankly, I don’t know that I’d blame them.
We don’t know how sound “sound” is here. Just because it’s not currently limping can be a long way from sound. It takes years of observation to develop an eye for the NQR or gait irregularity indicating discomfort. Sometimes those with that kind of eye don’t share because they are trying to sell it or justify using it when it should be on a reduced workload or laid up. Some don’t give a dam too.
But OP definitely needs to get , and pay for, a neutral farrier to look at this before she falls any more in love with it. Get an estimate of the farrier care involved and price out the supplements. I’d get the vet too, something could be systemically or structurally wrong that’s causing the cracks that can’t be fixed.
Just hate to see young first time owners get stuck with something they cannot financially handle, hate to see the horses in that situation too. Even with just good hoof supplements, those are 50-200 a month depending on what and how much. Can’t skimp on farrier visits either and extra charges for specialized work are probable.
Good things to consider. Before, I was just thinking “are these cracks fixable?” and now, I’m thinking “can I afford to fix them?”. My boyfriend does not want me to get this horse. In fact, he’s lined up at least six (that I know of) other QHs for me to look at this weekend. I would hate to get in a situation where I can’t afford to give him the treatment he needs. However, I do still want to see what my farrier has to say.
OP, why not show the seller this thread. Then offer them $50 for the horse, and spend the $2450 getting him sound.
I can’t believe they would work a horse with feet like that.
What do they plan to do with him in a couple of years when he can’t walk?
This suggestion is kind of “out there” but if you have your heart set on this horse, and providing he pass a preliminary vet check, and if the school is willing, would it be possible for you (after consulting with the vet) to give him a hoof supplement and maybe a 1-2 lbs. of ration balancer each day, do CleanTrax (or white lightning) soak(s) and have a different farrier attend to him?
You still have 3 months before you make a commitment, that should give you enough time to see if a treatment plan might work. The feet couldn’t possibly be fixed in that amount of time but you would notice if you were making any real progress at that point.
That would be far less expensive than buying the horse and finding out the feet were unable to be fixed.
My favorite hoof supplement is McCauley’s BioTime. You can buy a 10lb. pail for about $70.00 (+ shipping) that would last through the time period. A CleanTrax soak shouldn’t cost more than $100.00 (for all 4) and a few hours of your time.
His feet look very neglected. It also doesn’t look to me that the WLD was ever properly addressed. I could be wrong on that account but I don’t think I am. Shame on the school letting him get to this point.
[QUOTE=mswillie;7437121]
This suggestion is kind of “out there” but if you have your heart set on this horse, and providing he pass a preliminary vet check, and if the school is willing, would it be possible for you (after consulting with the vet) to give him a hoof supplement and maybe a 1-2 lbs. of ration balancer each day, do CleanTrax (or white lightning) soak(s) and have a different farrier attend to him?
You still have 3 months before you make a commitment, that should give you enough time to see if a treatment plan might work. The feet couldn’t possibly be fixed in that amount of time but you would notice if you were making any real progress at that point.
That would be far less expensive than buying the horse and finding out the feet were unable to be fixed.
My favorite hoof supplement is McCauley’s BioTime. You can buy a 10lb. pail for about $70.00 (+ shipping) that would last through the time period. A CleanTrax soak shouldn’t cost more than $100.00 (for all 4) and a few hours of your time.
His feet look very neglected. It also doesn’t look to me that the WLD was ever properly addressed. I could be wrong on that account but I don’t think I am. Shame on the school letting him get to this point.[/QUOTE]
Brilliant! Not sure as the head of the equine program that I’d want someone changing my program, but the program needs to be changed if any of the creatures have hooves like that! 
[QUOTE=findeight;7436519]
Understsnd this is at OPs school? Does not speak to great overall management and care, least to me.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=mswillie;7437121]
His feet look very neglected. It also doesn’t look to me that the WLD was ever properly addressed. I could be wrong on that account but I don’t think I am. Shame on the school letting him get to this point.[/QUOTE]
I agree 100% with all of the above.
I can’t believe those hooves belong to a horse involved in a school program. Not only is it inexcusable, it’s sending a very poor message to the students.
[QUOTE=Cindyg;7437046]OP, why not show the seller this thread. Then offer them $50 for the horse, and spend the $2450 getting him sound.
I can’t believe they would work a horse with feet like that.
What do they plan to do with him in a couple of years when he can’t walk?[/QUOTE]
That is a good suggestion! As for your last question, there isn’t a person here who doesn’t know where that horse will end up if this problem is not addressed…
P.S. A little sleuthing will turn up where this horse is. :yes:
Are the cracks actually as wide as they appear or did the farrier dig them out as a means of trying to make them better?
I have seen farriers do this before to help a crack heal.
