been told horse has an abcess on his hoof, and it has just burst. He has a small split in the top of his hoof where the hair meets the hoof, and had a small amount of liquid there if you pressed it. Is this an abcess?
Our mare had an abcess that eventually burst out through the coronet band. It looked like a brownish liquid but not thick. This gave almost immediate relief from the pain for her although it took a couple of days for her to go sound. This was a very difficult one to locate so I guess it found the weakest place despite the farrier and vets efforts.
Yes, its not that rare to be honest. Poultice it for a few days and that should draw out most of the infection. If its not better by then get your vet out to double check.