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Spent a whole morning on a hoof with a weird, deep central sulcus crack
Had a horse come in last week with a crack running right up the central sulcus of its front hoof. Looked simple at first, but it was way deeper than I thought, almost into the sensitive structures. My usual method of cleaning and packing wasn't holding at all. I must have tried three different packing materials and two ways of setting the shoe to take pressure off, but nothing stuck. The owner was getting antsy, and I was there for over three hours just on that one foot. Finally, I remembered an old-timer telling me about using a thin layer of acrylic under a specific pad to really seal it before the packing. Tried it, and it held. What do you all do for a deep central sulcus crack that just won't stay clean and dry?
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uma66817d ago
Acrylic under a pad is a solid move for those deep cracks. I've had better luck with the two-part epoxy putty instead of liquid acrylic though. It sets up slower so you can really work it into the crack before it hardens. Pair that with a full pad and a bar shoe to keep the whole area from flexing. The key is getting everything bone dry before you start, even if you need a heat gun for a few minutes. Let the epoxy cure fully before you add any packing on top.
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Tried dental impression material as a packing, sealed it with a pour-in pad.
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violatorres13d ago
You mentioned getting everything bone dry with a heat gun. How long do you usually let the hoof cool down after heating it before you apply the epoxy putty? I worry about trapping any moisture or heat against the sole.
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