Editor’s Note: The following is reprinted with permission of the author from the 2001 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention Proceedings. To view reference images, click here.

A successful quarter crack repair should be simple, strong, safe to apply, and durable. The cause of the crack must be addressed to prevent recurrence.

Quarter cracks are a common cause of foot lameness and/or decreased athletic performance in race and sport horses. They typically originate at the coronary band and continue distally (downward). A true quarter crack is full thickness, meaning it extends into the dermis of the hoof, and often leads to instability, inflammation, and/or infection. Quarter cracks can be painful due to infection and/or the instability caused by movement of the hoof wall posterior to (behind) the crack. Vertical movement of the heel bulb on the affected side further complicates this instability. Causes of quarter cracks include trauma to the coronary band, pre-existing damage to the corium from infection, abnormal hoof conformation (especially the long-toe, underrun-heel foot), focal foot imbalances (such as a sheared heel), short shoes, or an abnormal landing pattern when the foot strikes the ground.

Often the problem facing equine practitioners is that many horses that develop quarter cracks must continue to perform. For this to occur, the repair must provide strength and stability to the hoof wall defect, which allows the horse to perform without pain while the quarter crack heals. Various techniques for repairing hoof cracks have been described. They include corrective shoeing, stabilizing the crack by placing implants across the defect, and covering the crack with an acrylic material 1,2,4,7. This report describes a simple, consistent method of repairing a quarter crack that, when combined with appropriate shoeing, gives superior stability