My old boss told me to always use a 12 gauge nail for quarter cracks, and I'm not sure he was right

When I was just starting out, the guy I worked for in Lexington was dead set on using a 12 gauge nail for any quarter crack repair, no matter the horse or the crack. He said it gave the best hold without putting too much stress on the hoof wall. For years, I did it that way and it worked okay. But last fall, I had a big warmblood with a nasty vertical crack, and a vet I was working with suggested a lighter 15 gauge nail higher up on the wall, paired with a good acrylic patch. The result was way less movement in the shoe and the crack grew out cleaner. Now I'm stuck thinking, is the heavier nail just an old-school rule, or is there a time and place for both methods? What's your go-to for a bad quarter crack?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_nathan1mo agoMost Upvoted

That Lexington boss energy is a whole mood. I had a guy in Ocala who swore by pouring motor oil on thrush, so sometimes the old guard just picks a hill to die on. For a bad vertical crack, I'm reaching for the lighter nail and acrylic every time now. The physics just work better.

the_wyatt1mo ago

Yeah, the motor oil thing is wild but I've heard similar. @the_nathan, you mentioned the physics working better with the lighter nail and acrylic for a vertical crack. Can you break that down a bit more? Like, are we talking about less shear force on the hoof wall, or is it more about letting the crack flex without stressing the patch? I've seen some guys go too rigid with a big bar shoe and it just seems to blow out a new weak spot.

nathan_shah1mo ago

Read an article a while back that said a stiff patch just moves the stress point. The lighter set up lets the whole thing give a little without breaking.