Racing With Quarter Cracks
Care-Givers Credit Big Brown's Trainer for Healing Time, Soft Shoes
May 23, 2008 BarbaraAnne Helberg
How does a trainer race a colt with quarter cracks?
Star Thoroughbred Big Brown was bothered by a condition known as quarter cracks in both front feet. But, says Tom Curl, an expert who treats horses suffering from problematic quarter cracks, Big Brown has raced free of hoof problems since his 3-year-old debut in a one mile allowance contest in Florida which the sturdy colt won by 12-3/4 lengths.
Healing Time Is Key
Curl says trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. knew what he had in Big Brown, and the trainer committed to seeking a total healing process for the horse, now a Triple Crown contender. Dutrow made a decision to take the colt out of training for the month of January.
Curl notes that quarter cracks are not unique to the Thoroughbred racehorse. Any breed can develop quarter cracks. The causes of quarter cracks range from running on hard surfaces, to concussion, to thin hoof walls, to imbalance of the medial lateral foot.
Big Browns' quarter cracks were atypical, says Curl. A hoof wall separation initiated the cracking. Possibly a bruise on the bottom of the foot prompted the beginning of a separation, Curl explained. This leads to an abscess which can't drain. The abscess pushes infection up the hoof wall. That, in turn, separates the hoof wall (the fingernail) from the laminae (the membrane that is at the core of a laminitis infection).
The separation of the fingernail is difficult to detect since it can't be seen. A horse can run a race, or perform workouts, and cause the infected area to heat up, but if it cools back down, a problem won't be detected. If a problem is susptected, and the horse is suspended from workouts for a short time period, his next work, or breeze can cause the abscess to break out through the top of the hoof.
Ian McKinlay, who is based in New York, and treated Big Brown's first quarter crack, said he sees the condition more frequently in Standardbreds. He believes tracks becoming harder may be a root cause of the trouble. Curl and Dutrow believe that a wall separation developed over time in Big Brown's case because he has always trained on good surfaces.
Wire Lacing and Yasha Glue-on Shoes
McKinlay treated Big Brown's first quarter crack by lacing the crack together with wire. Curl used the same technique in the colt's second quarter crack, which developed in his left foot. After Big Brown' s first race this season, Curl told Dutrow he thought rubber cushion Yasha glue-on shoes, developed by McKinlay, would work for the colt.
A set of Yasha glue-ons were anchored to Big Brown's feet 21 days before the Kentucky Derby. Dutrow says the colt's feet went cold within 24 hours of the shoe-fitting. Although the Yasha glue-ons are expensive, as much as $550 a pair compared to regular nail-ons at $25 a pair, Big Brown hasn't had any further problems with his feet.
Curl's philosophy is when the feet are right, the rest of the horse does well also.
Racing With Quarter Cracks
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