Spent 6 hours on one hoof yesterday because of a tiny crack I kept missing

I was working on this draft mare yesterday afternoon, nice easy trim usually. But she kept flinching when I got near the toe on her left front, so I kept digging around trying to find a bruise or abscess. Finally after 6 hours of checking and rechecking, I found this hairline crack running up under the shoe nail hole. I felt like an idiot but also relieved I didn't just shove a nail through worse. Has anyone else spent way too long hunting something tiny like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

charliew991mo ago

Tbh I never thought tiny cracks were a big deal but that changed my mind honestly.

elizabeththomas1mo ago

Oh man, I feel this so hard lol. I had a similar thing happen with an old gelding last spring where he was just off but I could not figure out why. Spent like 4 hours staring at his foot, taking the shoe off and putting it back on, absolutely convinced I was losing my mind. Turned out to be a teeny tiny crack right at the white line that was almost invisible unless you held the foot in just the right light. Felt like such a dummy but it was way better than risking a nail hitting wrong. It's crazy how the smallest things can cause the biggest headaches.