Bakersfield Dressage
  • Home
  • About
  • Horses
    • Horses
    • G Ima Starr FA
    • Imperioso
    • Sunshine
    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
    • Montoya DSA
    • Mickey Dee
    • Sydney
  • Dressage Organizations
    • Dressage Organizations
    • Memberships
    • 2019 Dressage Tests
  • Show Results
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
    • 2010
  • Education
  • Local
    • Shopping List

Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

Quarter Crack

3/17/2022

 
While I feel like I know more about horse physiology than a lot of riders, I definitely don't know everything. I don't even know a fraction of everything. One of the (many) things that I didn't know was what a quarter crack actually is. Of all of the parts of the equine body to learn about, hooves are the one thing that I don't totally geek out about unless it comes to abscesses. I dig those.

Near the end of last week, I think it was Thursday, I looked down at Izzy's feet like I always do and gave an involuntary wince. Crap. There was a pretty long crack growing from the bottom of Izzy's hoof towards his coronary band. It didn't look good. I immediately shot a couple of photos and fired them off to my farrier with the message, Should this be something to worry about?
Picture
That can't be good.
I know just enough about hooves to recognize that it was a crack in his quarters. Wouldn't that make it a quarter crack? Every rider knows that quarter cracks are definitely not good. I have a really good farrier, so rather than consult Dr. Google, DVM, I waited for him to respond. He told me not to worry, but that he would be by to clean it up. That was a better reply than I was hoping for, but still.

As we were nearing the end of my Saturday lesson with Sean Cunningham, owner and trainer at STC Dressage, I saw my farrier pull up. Rather than drive down to where he usually works on the horses, he stopped right outside the arena and waited for me to finish. Since it was just going to be a quick touch up, I didn't even bother to untack. I led Izzy straight from the arena to the truck.
Picture
Not as scary looking from the under side.
Izzy only wears shoes in the front - long story, so the crack was on a hind hoof. My farrier took out his nippers and snipped away the hang nail. He did some work with the file and then repeated the process on the other hoof. As he finished, I started asking questions. First, I wanted to know if it was a quarter crack. For the first time, someone was able to give me a brief, but very intelligible explanation of what a quarter crack really is.

He explained that while this crack did appear on Izzy's hoof quarter, it wasn't an actual quarter crack. Quarter cracks begin at the coronary band and go downward. In his words, the hoof wall at the coronary band is paper thin which makes it more susceptible to splitting and cracking. Speedy damaged his coronary band pretty severely a few years ago, and it did take quite a while for the damage to grow out. Even that injury wasn't an actual quarter crack; he ripped his coronary band open on something.
Picture
Cleaned up and ready to go.
My farrier explained that the heal quarter is actually a thin part of the hoof and is made to chip away. As it chips off, it allows the horse to even out the rest of the hoof wall. For wild horses, this is a normal and natural process. While Izzy's hind feet were just trimmed three weeks ago, we had a deep, soaking rain a week or two ago which softened Izzy's feet. While messing around in his paddock, he probably caught the quarter of his hoof on something which tore it open without knocking it completely away. It was a lot like a human hang nail.

When my farrier trims Izzy, he always adds a slight arch to the hoof wall which keeps the quarters from resting on the ground. This way, it doesn't tear off like Izzy's just did. When Speedy injured his coronary band, the vet and farrier did the same thing to aid Speedy's healing. For a regular trim, the arch is much flatter than the one they did for Speedy.
Picture
Speedy's "arch."
Even though Izzy's hoof now has a pretty good chunk missing, my farrier assured me that horses do just fine with even bigger hunks missing. Damage to the upper part of the hoof is much more serious than anything below the midline of the hoof.
Picture
You can barely see it from the bottom.
Izzy's not lame in any way, and knowing how quickly Speedy's hoof changed from day to day, I bet this grows back in before my farrier comes in three weeks. And if it doesn't grow in completely, my farrier won't even have to add a new arch; it will still be there.

Thank goodness for good farriers.

Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
    ​Welcome to my dressage journey.
    Picture
    Photo by Lori Ovanessian
    Email Karen

    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
    Picture
    July 2020 (PC AJSK Photography)

    About Izzy

    Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
    Picture
    March 2021 (PC Tess Michelle Photography)

    Picture
    FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE
    Picture
    I love her stuff!
    Picture
    Watercolor Artist and Friend
    Picture
    Bakersfield Dressage approved!

    National Rider Awards

    Picture
    USDF Bronze Medal - 2020
    Picture
    USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
    Picture
    USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
    Picture
    USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

    State Rider Awards
    Picture
    CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018

    State Horse Awards
    Picture
    Speedy G - 3rd Level Horse Performance Award - 2020
    Picture
    Speedy G - 2nd Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

    Working Towards:

    CDS Sapphire Rider Award
    Third Level: 63.514%
    Third Level: 62.105%
    Fourth Level:
    Fourth Level:

    2022 Show Season

    Show Rating
    (***) CDS/USDF/USEF 
    (*) CDS
    (s) Schooling
    (c) Clinic
    (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic
    (Q) Qualifier
    2022 Show Schedule
    ​​(*) Tehachapi 7/24/22
    ​​(*) Tehachapi 8/28/22

    ​2022 Completed …
    ​​(*) Tehachapi 5/22/22

    2022 Qualifying Scores 

    Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC)  
    Qualifying 
    2 Scores/1 Judges/60%:

    Score 1: 
    Score 2:

    Archives
    ​By Topic

    All
    Abscess
    Art
    Arthritis
    Awards
    Books
    Cabin
    California Barn Life
    Captain Awesome
    CDL Class A License
    Centerlinescores
    Championships
    Chiropractor
    Clinics
    Clothing
    Cushing's Disease
    Defeating The Demon
    Dogs
    Double Bridle
    Dressage On The Trail
    EHV-1
    Endurance Photos
    Farrier
    First Level
    Fluphenazine
    Flying Changes
    Fourth Level
    Fox Hunting
    Freedom Feeder
    Frustration
    Gizmos
    Grooming
    Half Pass
    Headshaking
    Horse Maintenance
    Horses Are Expensive
    Horses Are Expensive 3.0
    Horses Are Expensive II
    Hunter/jumper Stuff
    Imperioso
    Introductory Level
    Izzys Leg
    Just For Fun
    Lessons With Chemaine
    Lessons With Lois
    Lessons With STC Dressage
    Local Stuff
    Memberships
    Micklem Bridle
    Mt. Self Doubt
    Musings
    My 5 Things
    My Horses
    Nesting
    On The Levels
    Photos
    Pivo Pod
    Platinum Performance
    Poles
    Polls
    Pulley Rein
    Raac
    Retirement?
    Rider Fitness
    Riding Figures
    Right Lead Canter
    Road ID
    Saddle Fitting
    Schooling
    Score Sheets
    Second Level
    Shopping
    Show Costs
    Showing
    Sitting Trot
    Sliding Side Reins
    Soldier
    Speedy's Leg
    Tack
    The Elephants
    The Jar
    The Warm Up Ring
    Third
    Third Level
    Tips From A Pro
    Toys
    Trailering
    Training
    Travel
    Ulcers
    Vet Care
    Video
    Videos
    Weird But True
    Year In Review


    Archives
    ​By Date

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011


Site Design: Karen Sweaney
  • Home
  • About
  • Horses
    • Horses
    • G Ima Starr FA
    • Imperioso
    • Sunshine
    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
    • Montoya DSA
    • Mickey Dee
    • Sydney
  • Dressage Organizations
    • Dressage Organizations
    • Memberships
    • 2019 Dressage Tests
  • Show Results
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
    • 2010
  • Education
  • Local
    • Shopping List