Taking Care of the Coronary Band

The Horse’s Coronary Band – What it is and How to Care for it!

The horse’s coronary band is quite literally where the rubber meets the road. Er, where the hoof meets your horse. You can say, with certainty, that your horse’s hoof grows out of the coronary band. Therefore, the care of the coronary band is important and should be a part of your daily grooming routine.

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Anatomy of your horse’s coronary band.

The coronary band is loaded with blood vessels inside the coronary corium. This is the part of the hoof-growing complex that generates new cells and then pushes them out into the world. This is how the keratin hoof wall is made.

Also inside the coronary band are long sections of corium called papillae. These papillae are designed as long tubules that transport nutrients through the hoof wall.

As the coronary band creates new hoof tissues, the cells don’t pop out fully functional and hard. They spend some time getting harder under the periople. This protective covering is just below the covering band and keeps the newly formed hoof wall safe.

Inspecting coronary bands when your horse’s legs are clipped is EASY.

Common problems associated with the coronary band.

Aside from your run-of-the-mill cuts and scraps that pop up, you may also find more serious situations.

Gravel

Gravel is a lovely term to describe an abscess that blows out the top of the hoof. Typically, a horse will have a speck of something, like sand, that works its way into your horse’s white line. Sometimes, this turns into an infection inside the hoof wall. Besides being wildly painful as the infection grows upward, it often pops out of the coronary band.

Gravel can also happen under the bars off the hoof, towards the heels. This is also quite painful, and the resulting infection might pop out of the rear of the hoof, towards the heel bulbs.

This gravel exit is growing out and will continue to travel down the hoof wall.

Quarter cracks.

Quarter cracks are one particular hoof crack that originates at the coronary band, between the toe and the back of the hoof, on either the inside or outside of the hoof. Quarter cracks have many causes, from conformation to impact injuries to improper hoof care to a coronary band injury. These hoof cracks are full thickness of the hoof wall, and super tricky to heal. The hoof flexes and contracts as your horse moves, stressing the quarter crack.

It’s easy to see the beginnings of some quarter cracks. You might see a bruise, a sore on the coronary band, or the beginnings of a small crack. Do get your farrier and vet involved pronto if you suspect a quarter crack. Many cracks need to be sewn shut or have metal plates hold them together.

Interference and other self-inflicted injuries.

Horses are also experts at overreach injuries, in which care the hind hoof clips the front leg, often landing on the heel bulb or coronary band. Bell boots often help horses that love to perform this particular stunt protected.

This knucklehead horse likes to whack himself.

How to groom your horse’s coronary band.

There’s no particular reason to “groom” your horse’s coronary band, but you do need to spend time every day making sure it’s not injured. Because the coronary band is filled with blood vessels and serves such a critical function, even the most minor injury can influence your horse’s soundness. Some coronary band injuries cause permanent disfigurements and abnormalities to the hoof, and may even cause permanent lameness.

The easiest way to inspect your horse’s coronary band is like taking care of the rest of him, using your hands and eyes. It’s also handy to have a pair of trimmers or clippers to clean any wounds as you find them.

Clip just a little with the clippers UP so that you can easily see what’s going on.

How to trim around the top of the hoof.

Horses that have their lower legs clipped have visible coronary bands. This is super easy for visual inspections and keeping the entire leg clean. You can also trim your horse’s coronary band with trimmers or clippers. I use a #10 blade, and you can do things a few different ways.

You can point your clippers down and just chop off the bottom of the coronary band. This is a bit like giving your horse a bowl cut.

With the clippers pointed down, you can rake the coronary band to “take a little off the top” as if you were blending the hair.

Alternatively, point your clipper blades up to grab a little more hair.

Give your horse a bowl cut.

Bump up your grooming routine

These techniques make it easier to stay on top of your horse’s hoof health. You don’t always have to groom your horse like he’s going to the Olympics, double check on all the important parts. Like the coronary band. It takes mere moments to do a quick inspection of the coronary band.

For a complete guide to leg and hoof grooming, this article has you covered!

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