abscess/ shoeing/ barefoot question

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Kelpie

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Well, I really hope this is an abscess anyway!!!

My mare has been off in front for a week now. At first only in trot but then the next day really quite lame in walk, with a lot of heat in the foot, so I was thinking abscess. However, over the next few days it then seemed to start to improve (with no sign of an abscess coming out, albeit the foot was still warmer). So, I was thinking possibly not abscess. Today, however, it's got significantly worse again - really quite lame in walk - so maybe it could yet be an abscess?

Anyway, vet is coming out tomorrow afternoon but in the meantime I'd just really appreciate some thoughts from the barefoot gurus on this forum on this.

The mare concerned is the only horse I have that is shod at the moment - reason being I only got her in January and I wanted to just get to know her a bit before taking her shoes off. I'm used enough to dealing with abscesses in barefuoot horses but not so much in shod horses. When the vet comes tomorrow, if the vet also thinks it is an abscess, should I be angling to take the shoes off and poultice or leave the shoes on? Pro's/ con's? I do want to take the mare barefoot later in the year anyway but the farrier has suggested her feet could do with the help of shoes to come into a better shape first (that is, in itself, controversial I know but in his defence actually their shape/ balance has improved over the past couple of shoeings and if it will make the transition to barefoot easier then that sounds OK to me....).

Of course I realise it may yet be something else that is not an abscess but I'm trying to guess as to what else it might be that would apparently come and go a in that way, with heat in the foot? Any other ideas welcome! I'm sort of hoping it is an abscess as hopefully it would then be very resolveable - the mare concerned is the one with KS so I'm keen to be able to keep up her work/ physio and a long term lameness in front would be a real massive setback in that respect :(
 
Abscesses often come and go like that. They seem to make more room for themselves and can be ok for a couple of weeks, or a couple of days, until they fill that space and hurt again.
 
Thank you cptrayes, I really do hope it is an abscess ....... would you know if they take longer to resolve in shoes than barefoot?
 
Kelpie said:
Thank you cptrayes, I really do hope it is an abscess ....... would you know if they take longer to resolve in shoes than barefoot?
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My experience is the opposite, if anything, I think because many barefoot feet are so darned thick and hard.
 
ooh, interesting point! I was wondering if the hindering of circulation caused by shoes could mean an abscess takes longer, but as you rightly say, often barefoot feet are harder. Maybe shoe off and poltice straight on?
 
Yes, I'd do that. Washing soda can be good for temporarily weakening the foot to let the abscess break out. It will likely come out of the bulb of the heel, if not there, then coronet, so make sure you poultice all that area. Wet warm bran in a sack does that well. Sorry if this is teaching you to suck eggs :)
 
woo hoo, we have puss :) :)

(though annoyingly, coming from an exit point in the sole, though fortunately the vet didn't need to do much digging!!)
 
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