Quarter crack
Quarter crack is a vertical crack in the hoof wall at the quarter (the side of the hoof), from the coronary band down or from the ground up — not white-line disease hollowing the inner wall, not thrush in the frog, not quittor in the collateral cartilage, not canker, not gravel tracking up the white line, and not club foot. It can be painful if it reaches sensitive tissue or gets infected; often related to unbalanced feet, dry/wet cycles, or trauma. A photograph cannot diagnose a quarter crack. A still cannot tell a quarter crack from a sand crack, a superficial wall crack, white-line disease, or gravel. Diagnosis is a vet/farrier exam. The hoof scan is a first look at the hoof wall to share with a vet/farrier, not a quarter-crack test, and there is no quarter-crack scanner.
Symptoms to watch for
A vertical crack in the hoof wall at the quarter (the side of the hoof) — from the coronary band down or from the ground up — the crack is a clue, not a still-photo verdict
A crack that can look deeper, wet, or painful when it reaches sensitive tissue or gets infected — a reason to book a vet/farrier, not a photo verdict
Heat, a strong digital pulse, or lameness on that foot when the crack is active — a clue, not a diagnosis
A wall crack that can look like a sand crack, a superficial wall crack, white-line disease, or gravel — a still cannot tell them apart
Unbalanced feet, dry/wet cycles, or trauma that can sit with a quarter crack — the history is a clue, not a diagnosis
A change in the crack, moisture, or soundness is a reason to book a vet/farrier, not a photo verdict
Common causes
- A vertical crack in the hoof wall at the quarter, from the coronary band down or from the ground up
- Unbalanced feet, dry/wet cycles, or trauma that stress the wall — the standing and the trim are clues, not a diagnosis
- Not white-line disease (inner-wall hollow), not thrush (frog sulci), not quittor (collateral cartilage), not canker, not gravel (ascending white-line infection), and not club foot — a still cannot tell those apart, and those need a vet/farrier
- A still cannot tell a quarter crack from a sand crack, a superficial wall crack, white-line disease, or gravel — and a still cannot tell white-line disease from seedy-toe — those need a vet/farrier
Prevention
- Pick out all four feet every day and look at the hoof wall and the quarters, not only the frog
- Keep a regular farrier cycle so the feet stay balanced, and watch dry/wet cycles and trauma
- Watch for a vertical crack at the quarter, moisture in the crack, or new lameness, and book a vet/farrier rather than waiting on a photo
- Do not treat a photo, a wall crack, or a scan result as a diagnosis
- Hoof photos can help you, the vet, and the farrier look at the hoof wall — they do not confirm or rule out a quarter crack, and they cannot tell it from a sand crack, a superficial wall crack, white-line disease, or gravel
What to do
- 1
Book a vet/farrier exam if you see a vertical crack at the quarter, if the crack is wet or painful, or if the horse is short on that foot. Diagnosis is a vet/farrier exam — not a photograph.
- 2
Do not pack, glue, or wire a crack yourself from a photo guess. A still cannot tell a quarter crack from a sand crack, a superficial wall crack, white-line disease, or gravel.
- 3
Photograph the hoof wall in good light and keep the photos on the horse's record so you, the vet, and the farrier can see change over time — a first look to share, not a diagnosis.
- 4
Use a hoof scan only as a first look at the hoof wall to share, not as a quarter-crack test. There is no quarter-crack scanner.
- 5
If a quarter crack is confirmed, follow the plan your vet and farrier prescribe. Do not start a treatment protocol from a photo.
- 6
Keep the vet and farrier on the same page. Share what you see; do not treat a photo as a verdict.
Pick up the phone if…
Schedule a vet/farrier exam if you see a vertical crack at the quarter, if the crack is wet or painful, or if the horse is short on that foot. Call sooner if the horse will not bear weight, the limb is suddenly very swollen, or the horse is dull or off feed. A photograph cannot diagnose a quarter crack. A still cannot tell a quarter crack from a sand crack, a superficial wall crack, white-line disease, or gravel. Diagnosis is a vet/farrier exam. A quarter crack is a vertical crack in the hoof wall at the quarter — not white-line disease, not thrush, not quittor, not canker, not gravel, and not club foot. The hoof scan is a first look at the hoof wall, not a quarter-crack test, and there is no quarter-crack scanner.
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Educational content only. Not a substitute for veterinary advice.