The second set of pictures show his hoof 5 months later.
I don't have any good, clear pictures of the more recent trims. A diet change, increased exercise and 4 week trim
intervals, had his crack growing out nicely. I had also been treating the crack with Apple Cider Vinegar and water to kill
any fungal infections. I simply sprayed it on the hoof and directly into the crack every couple of days. Not one
swab of hoof moisturizers and see how much his hoof quality improved! The problem with Jake was an opportunistic infection
that was eating the hoof from the inside out, or at least faster than it could grow. The thrush also cleared up with the vinegar
treatments.
I grudgingly admit that I had been his trimmer before he joined our herd. He had that crack
from before I ever touched his hoof, and it had always been clear up to the top of the hoof wall. The previous farrier had
tried horizontal notches with the rasp, but to no avail. I had it about half grown out, with beveling alone, when I went on
maternity leave. His hoof split right back up until I was back to work. Then he came to our place, and I was able to disinfect
it, and it started growing out again.
He has since gone to a new home, and I've continued his hoof trimming,
but on a longer time frame of 8 weeks, and with the winter months, his growth has slowed. I don't think the new owner has
continued the anti-fungal treatments, so we'll see if he had enough treatments to make it go away permanantly. I highly suspect
that if the treatments are not continued, the crack will start to grow again. The funny crescent shaped callous on the sole,
surrounding the wall crack tells me there is probably an anomoaly that is either congential, or from trauma of a crack, or
wound that makes it a permanant weak spot, more prone to infections.
Jake is sound. The crack does not
cause lameness, and it has been healing without any need of a shoe to "stablize" the hoof.
