Abscess out at coronet band - what now?

[diamonddogs]

I just noticed the horizontal split on her coronet band this afternoon. It showed up because her hoof's soaking wet so the skin's really white round the top of her hoof, so it could have been like it a day or so. It's about an inch long and not gaping open.

How do I deal with it, or should I just leave it alone now? And how long will it take to grow out?

 

[Fides]

My girl had one - now it has grown out about 1 and a half cm. I did nothing more than keep an eye on it - it never looked horrendous and she was never lame. Is she lame? It sounds like it has already ruptured...

 

[diamonddogs]

She's been intermittently lame since it was dug out of her sole. The farrier said it was a deep one, and nothing much came out of the hole. She was sound-ish after a couple of days so I turned her out with a dressing on, then she went back on three legs so I brought her in and started poulticing again. She improved enough to go out into her new field which is down a long stony path. She's been weight bearing and walking OK, but yesterday they had a good b0ll0ck round the field and she went slightly lame in trot. She's sound in walk, and off and on slightly lame in trot. She's perfectly happy in herself and is grazing and wandering round like usual. I'm not wanting to bring her in unless absolutely necessary because of the stony path back to the yard.

When did yours break out? She's not shod and only has the farrier out every couple of months, less in winter, as her feet grow slowly compared to other horses on the yard. She has great feet apart from her annual abscess.

 

[diamonddogs]

Double post!

 

[Fides]

As a bad owner I didn't actually notice until it had stated growing out. Her legs are quite hairy (unclipped and barefoot) and she was never lame so I didn't see until the time had passed. I felt very guilty and have been super diligent since but it seems no harm done. Mine too have the farrier every couple of months but tend to go 10 weeks in winter.

 

[diamonddogs]

I know what you mean about the guilt - and I nearly fainted when I saw the split! I thought her hoof was going to fall off or something! I normally hang out after going to the field but I just wanted to get home and get on Google Images (not recommended, though I did see plenty that looked like hers). It took me ages to calm down enough to realise that this is a Good Thing.

Sometimes though, you do have to wonder if we sometimes can interfere too much, but it's hard to know when intervention's needed and when to let nature take its course. I'm sure loads of wild ponies get abscesses and suffer for a day or so then get better on their own. But it's just so horrible to see them in such pain though, but there are a couple of posters in my other thread that have given up digging and leave them alone.

 

[maccachic]

I just bath with salty water and left it to do its thing no issues and they just grow out over time

 

[vanrim]

I don't know how old your horse is or if she has any other problems but feet growing more slowly than is normal and a tendency to get foot abscesses can be a sign of Cushing's Disease.

She's been intermittently lame since it was dug out of her sole. The farrier said it was a deep one, and nothing much came out of the hole. She was sound-ish after a couple of days so I turned her out with a dressing on, then she went back on three legs so I brought her in and started poulticing again. She improved enough to go out into her new field which is down a long stony path. She's been weight bearing and walking OK, but yesterday they had a good b0ll0ck round the field and she went slightly lame in trot. She's sound in walk, and off and on slightly lame in trot. She's perfectly happy in herself and is grazing and wandering round like usual. I'm not wanting to bring her in unless absolutely necessary because of the stony path back to the yard.

When did yours break out? She's not shod and only has the farrier out every couple of months, less in winter, as her feet grow slowly compared to other horses on the yard. She has great feet apart from her annual abscess.

 

[diamonddogs]

She's only ten and is a very healthy horse, but this is worth knowing

 

[WindyWitch]

My guys coronet band burst before Christmas due to a massive infection. Once this had healed I treated it with cornucrescine once a week and its grown down now by just over half the hoof

 

[amandap]

The horizontal split is where an absess burst at the coronet above the hard hoof capsule, it will grow down and out as the hoof wall grows. The split doesn't need any treatment ime but a chunk of wall may break off when it gets near the base of the hoof.

 

[diamonddogs]

My guys coronet band burst before Christmas due to a massive infection. Once this had healed I treated it with cornucrescine once a week and its grown down now by just over half the hoof

Oh, not too bad then!

The horizontal split is where an absess burst at the coronet above the hard hoof capsule, it will grow down and out as the hoof wall grows. The split doesn't need any treatment ime but a chunk of wall may break off when it gets near the base of the hoof.

So the general consensus is to just leave it to grow out now then. I went to take her rug off this morning and now the hoof and hair have dried it's almost invisible.

Is it likely to gape open or is it all over now? It's been a long job this time...

 

[Brightbay]

The horizontal split is where an absess burst at the coronet above the hard hoof capsule, it will grow down and out as the hoof wall grows. The split doesn't need any treatment ime but a chunk of wall may break off when it gets near the base of the hoof.

^^^ This

We had a bad winter, and currently have abscess exits growing out on two hind hooves and one front hoof. Both hinds have reached the split off level, and the feet look a bit ragged as a result, but horse is 100% sound and has been since a day or so after the burst. The first thing to happen is that the sole wears off and reveals where the abscess has tracked - this is a bit weird, you find you're cleaning out the hoof and there's a channel where stones and grit get stuck, and you realise it's the track. Just keep it clear of large stones and it lifts off quite fast to show the new sole underneath. With the very large abscess mine had, almost the whole lateral sole plus the bar lifted off in a big chunk. Again, he was completely sound and has been hacking out happily. Shortly after this (it's at the heel), the wall below the split broke off. Again, it looks worse than it is - he still has clear heels for his heel first landing, but there's a ragged looking gap just in front. Hoof stays functional.

I have had them dug out in the past and still had them break out the top - now I encourage them to break out and that way I don't have to deal with ages of packing holes in the sole

So it's a "do nothing, it is in the process of fixing itself" for me

 

[throughtheforest]

I did nothing with Nero's, it's still there but seems to be causing no problems and he is soundish... I think he may have another one coming on the opposite hoof now though.

 

[Maesfen]

If you want to do something then give it a thorough spray of blue spray just so you feel you've done something but honestly, leaving it alone is usually the best policy and that is advice from my farrier so I'm happy to follow it.

 

[deb_l222]

I daren't do the quote thing on my phone but amandap has it spot on. The split shouldn't look any different while it's growing out but it may well break off in a big chunk when it gets to the bottom of the hoof.

Abscesses that 'burst out' heal and seal behind themselves so you don't need to put anything on it. Can you tell this is my favourite subject lol.

 

[diamonddogs]

Thank you so much for all your responses!

When I first saw the split yesterday it made me feel quite sick. I hadn't known what to expect so it was a bit of a shock (I think I'd expected something a bit more uneven and obvious, certainly not something that looked like a neat slit), but happily the worst is now over and I just have to exercise a bit of patience now till it grows out.

 

[NZJenny]

Celebrate! It's out and she will heal very quickly now. You will get a slight bump in the hoof as it grows out, but that will be all.