Abscess... Dig or not?

Michen

Michen

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Rode horse and noticed he felt more sensitive on stones than usual, aka he trod on a big one and went hopping lame for a stride when usually he's fine on them. Sound otherwise though.

Got home after a 20 min hack and there was a farrier (not my usual as he's away) on the yard so asked him to hoof test and have a look. Horse was a little sensitive to the testers on one hoof and there was a small area which felt a bit "squishy" on his sole though his soles in general aren't fab. He thought he saw a pinprick of puss coming out.

Farrier pulled shoe and I have been poulticing for 4 days- nothing coming out. Been wet poulticing and turning out in hoof boot and horse certainly isn't hopping lame but not level which may well be due to the pulled shoe/hoof boot.

What to do next? My usual farrier who I trust completely is away and I am hesitant to get a vet to dig around. I don't reallly want to carry on wet poulticing as his hoof is just getting soggier and soggier. He doesn't seem at all sensitive in the area of the suspected abscess to thumb pressure, aka I can press it myself and get no reaction.

Could it be that it was a bruise and that whilst farrier thought it was a little pussy (I couldn't see it but he apparently could!) it won't actually "blow"?
 
Personally I'd expect him to be hopping lame after 4 days with no puss coming out if it's an abscess, as such I'd suspect a bruise. Is there another good farrier you can get to take a look that comes to the yard? I understand not not wanting the veg to dig out, going by past experience they usually take half the hoof with them.
 
It does sound like his just bruised it to be honest if they have pus in the foot they are normally crippled, if he seems okay now I would put the shoe back on and see how he goes, water and soda crystals are good for bruised feet.
 
If he is not hopping then turn out and give it a few days to reasses.
It's probably more likely to be a bruise.
 
It would make sense for him to be bruised as the day before we hacked out down a bridleway which was horrendously stoney where it had all been washed out, so could easily have happened then. Think I'll dry poultice from tomorrow for two days and attack with purple spray then have the shoe back on and go from there.
 
I'd never dig and I'd always turnout (unless you had to bring in and make the horse walk a long way I suppose).

Sounds like a bruise to me. They can be incredibly painful. A previous horse took spasmodic colic due to a stone bruise!
 
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