Quarter cracks (pictured here), heel cracks, bar cracks, collapsed heels, and underrun heels are all problems that can occur in the caudal area of the horse's hoof. | Photo: Amy Rucker, DVM

While many farriers might focus on the front half of the horse’s foot—specifically the toe— the caudal aspects (back half) also requires careful attention.

That’s because the back half of the foot can fail in many ways, said Danvers Child, CJF, of Lafayette, Indiana, during his presentation at the 2017 International Hoof-Care Summit held Jan. 24-27 in Cincinnati, Ohio. And how to identify and manage such problems has been a topic of debate among farriers.

Childs has more than 35 years of experience as a sport and performance horse farrier. Additionally, he served as the official farriers supervisor at the Alltech FEI 2010 World Equestrian Games, in Lexington, Kentucky. He is also the official farrier of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event