anyone experienced an abscess realted to hoof pads?

[Nevergrewup]

My cob went from slightly to hopping lame two weeks ago and eventually a sort of abscess appeared which TBH looks more like a bed sore (no real pus or smell even when dug into and poulticed etc.).

The vets thinks it may have been caused by something getting under his hoof pad (mega shock absorbers for arthritis in pasterns) or uneven pressure from the pad itself.

I've never heard of this before and googling doesn't throw much up either. Just wondered if anyone else had experienced something similar and had any advice re: prevention and/or recovery? Thanks.

PS he already has that pink putty stuff between the hoof and pad

 

[ThePony]

Diet is more likely than the effect from a fancy piece of foam tbh - what is he on?
Does he just wear boots and pads for work on challenging surfaces or does he wear them more?

 

[Nevergrewup]

sorry I took a while to reply, I couldn't post from work today.

He wears 'cushion frog pads' like this:
http://www.well-shod.com/viewimage....d&limage=l1268.jpg&lsize=width=350 height=263
under his shoes 247/365. No problems in 4ish years of wearing them until now.

Very good doer in light work (was in light/medium work 'til arthritis played up in Summer), currently fed 6ish hours of OK grazing every day + 1 small net of OK haylage (inside 2 or 3 nets) overnight, about 3lbs of low energy pasture mix spread between 2 feeds and lots of supps - bute, synequin, no bute, flaxseed oil and D&H mobility.