Any tips on poulticing foot!!!

[katiex2]

I am poulticing my horses foot at mo as she has an infection. Usual routine - poultice, followed by nappy, followed by vet wrap and then poultice boot. However I just wondered if anyone has any suggestions as on occasion the nappy splits and we are starting to wear a hole in the poultice boot. I am sure I read somewhere about cutting an old car tyre up and using that. Any suggestions???

 

[lexiedhb]

Never heard of using a nappy... I just poltice, vet wrap and boot it!

 

[Shilasdair]

You can buy boots called 'Shoofs' (a shoe for a hoof, geddit?) which work quite well, although they're not the most secure things ever designed.
You could always buy an 'old mac' or similar, or one of the blue boots, which will be stronger than the green canvas ones I presume you are using.
S

 

[irishdraught]

We always use nappies for polticing feet. Saves on gamgee, is absorbant & sticks on with it's own tabs before you can vetwrap over it!

On top of that we used duct tape but making sure it wasn't tight over the coronet. That was waterproof enough to enable turnout until it was due to be changed without having to use a boot. I suppose it depends how stoney your ground is. Ours is quite sandy so didn't get worn through.

 

[LouHardwick]

I agree. i always use nappies too. quick and very easy.

 

[katiex2]

Yes it is the green canvas bag - I just don't think they are hardy enough for the job!! I will have to have a look at the Shoofs - thanks for the tip

 

[Nats_uk]

When I poultice my horse's foot he gets the animalintex (spelling?), a layer of gamgee, a whole tube of vetwrap and a tiop layer of black electrical/masking tape. Normally put a bell brushing boot over the top as well so he cannot catch it.

This normally works well and it lasts. I have heard of using old bits of rug as well.

 

[Orangehorse]

Or use Duck tape - sticky waterproof tape. It costs about £5.00 a roll, and 1 roll, with a dressing applied once a day lasts for about 5/6 days. If the abscess goes on too long you feel like buying shares in the company (Duck tape, I mean). It works though, if you do enough layers, particularly in the toe area, it does a good waterproof dressing.

I turned mine out in this - cotton wool in hole, a aquare piece of gamgee, nappy and duck tape. You can use a vet wrap as well, but the expense of those mounts up as well.

 

[pinkcatkin]

I use the corner of a hifi bag (tough plastic) so on goes poultice (bran, whatever), foot into the corner of the bag, bunch bag into the pastern, then I use duck tape (the really good stuff so that it sticks well and is bendable) and completely cover the foot and around the pastern. Then I snip off the excess plastic bag and that is on until you take it off, i.e. it is like a boot. Only trouble is can be a little slippery when ground i wet. Much cheaper than using vetwrap.

My friend uses "Hold Ups" over the foot and bran first and then the bag method which is quite good.

 

[Ani]

I always use a nappy followed by the doubled up corner of a megazorb sack (woven nylon/plastic), taped with ducktape, (vet wrap too expensive for me, lol) it never slips and if it wears through I just get another sack for the next one

 

[katiex2]

Thanks for the vote on the nappies I thought I was going mad then.
I always have them in my first aid kit!!! I will get some duck tape though - that might help too! I just want to make the whole thing more hard wearing

 

[u04elw2]

Ooh, I've tried everything but the nappy idea - might give it a go next time

He scrapes everything else off after 5 minutes (no exaggeration, he's actually managed to get a poultice off in the length of time it took me to empty the wheelbarrow. And that was with half a roll of duct tape and a whole roll of vetrap AND a carrier bag!!)

 

[silvershadow81]

Nappies all the way!!

esp the ones from Aldi, about 20 for £2!!

irishdraught - i agree with duct tape, it just holds the nappy together more and keeps waterproof!

 

[Quarrybank]

I put the poultice on, then the Pads you use under stable bangages - you can buy them for about £1 - cut to size.
Then wrap in vet wrap with duck tape over the toes.
I used to use a canvas poultice boot but have now got a plastic boot & thats fab as they can even go out in it.
Last time I felt I was buying shares in vetwrap & animalintex too!!!

 

[sar1]

Poultice then plenty of duck tape, nothing else - this seems to work just fine, although getting it back off when the horse is fed up of being messed around with is fun!

 

[mattilda]

I poultice with animalintex, vet wrap and then duct tape. Never comes off and means you can turn out, even in the wettest weather.

 

[amberbayo]

animalintex, nappie, vet wrap, duct tape/ make sure heel is covered well with nappie so it dosent get sore

 

[milomoo]

animalintex, a pair of someone elses socks, vet wrap, dengie bag/sugar beet bag and duct tape.
The socks mean that if your horse is a foot waver you don't lose you piece of poultice and end up with a dirty manky piece of poltice to pick of the floor.

 

[Donkeymad]

Another vote for nappies and Duck tape here

 

[Kat1e]

Why do so many people call it duck tape? Is it actually another name for duct tape or just people mishearing?