I always thought quarter cracks were mostly from dry hooves until I read a study from the University of Kentucky
It said over 70% of the cases they looked at were linked to poor hoof balance and uneven weight bearing, not just moisture. I found it in an old issue of the American Farriers Journal while cleaning out my truck. Has anyone else shifted their trim approach after seeing that kind of data?
Honestly @riley43, that study is a game changer. It makes you see how a long toe can really mess up a horse's stride. Like watching my own horse before and after a good trim, the difference is night and day. Now I'm always checking where that breakover point is. It just makes so much sense for how they move.
Remember that study also made me look at the whole horse. A hoof out of balance is often a sign of a bigger problem up the leg or in the way they travel. So now I watch them walk on hard ground first, before I even pick up a foot, to see where that uneven weight is really coming from. Fixing just the hoof might not be enough if you don't address the cause.