Frequent abscess’s

[poiuytrewq]

Not my horse that’s getting them.
My own retired horse is a companion to a young TB. His friend has been getting frequent abscesses. Between two feet (I think the same two!)
Not my problem but is my problem because my horse is now staying alone out in the field for increasing amounts of time while his buddy is in and poulticed, then when sound there’s always a wait for the farrier to get the shoe back on.
It’s not really the first winter of happy retirement I had in mind for him at the moment.
That said he seems pretty unphased by being alone and his friend in in sight as it another pony but imo that’s not enough.
If it continues I’m thinking I’m going to have to bring him home.
He’s happy there though and they get on so well.
Any ideas as to why this horse would constantly be getting infections?
I know cushings and I know a young TB with no other symptoms can have it but I don’t feel it’s the case in this situation.
Any tips on avoiding?
Bit of a loss at to what to do I know the other owner will be really upset if I take him away as will her horse but I hate driving past and seeing mine stood alone in the field.
The TB is sound and being shod on Friday so will be turned out on the weekend so will see how long he makes it this time before jumping to a decision and would rather avoid a move.

 

[Highmileagecob]

My friend's old cob did this when she pulled his hind shoes for retirement. Farrier came to the conclusion that as the hooves were balancing themselves and angles changing, small areas of laminae were weak and prone to tearing, causing a blood blister that had nowhere to go except break down into an abscess. After two hoof growth cycles (approx 12 months) it stopped and his back feet have never looked better. PS Poulticing for longer than three days seemed to keep the abscess from clearing. As soon as she started to let the air circulate, things cleared a lot quicker.

 

[ycbm]

Cushings and/or sugars in the diet, especially molasses, seem to be the two biggest culprits.
.

 

[Barton Bounty]

As ycbm said, I would be inclined to look at the feeding. It shouldn’t really be recurring as often as it is.
What is the ground like? Is it wet and or boggy? ?

 

[FestiveG]

Interestingly and a very small sample, our appy has had episodes of recurring abscess, which have coincided with the cobs pastern dermatitis. We think they were both sparked by walkers feeding them and then added to by our feeding a balancer. We have stopped all but forage feed and both are recovering well.

 

[poiuytrewq]

The owner was a die hard barefooter before this horse and so although he’s now shod as his feet didn’t handle lots of roads and the very stony ground round here he is fed a completely foot focussed diet. Absolutely no molasses ever, she rolls her eyes when I give the odd polo.

He’s not being poulticed for long, I’m not sure the details but it’s on farrier advice. It’s more the staying in til the shoe is replaced that seems to be keeping him in for ages.
Yes the ground is wet, the worst bits are fenced off but as with everywhere it’s pretty wet at the moment.

 

[SEL]

Any shortfalls in the hay such as copper or selenium? I have to supplement both because my land is deficient

 

[poiuytrewq]

Any shortfalls in the hay such as copper or selenium? I have to supplement both because my land is deficient

That I don’t know..
Oddly my own horse who has had not great quality feet and that was my one worry about him living out is for the first time ever doing ok shoeless and his feet are looking really quite good. They are both fed exactly the same and on the same hay.
I realise what effects one may not the other thought.

 

[FlyingCircus]

Can he not be poulticed and kept out? My mare has had ongoing abscess drama since Oct and has been out most of that, even in a wet field. She hates being in and vet said movement is best.

She gets foot scrubbed, epsom salt in nappy, vet wrap, gorilla tape, rubble sack, more gorilla tape, woof wear poultice boot, overreach and this seems to be doing a great job at keeping everything clean. It is only ever damp when it rains as water seeps in from the top of the leg, but even then the damp by the foot is pretty clean by the time it has been through layers of vet wrap and nappy then soaked into epsom salts before it gets to the hoof!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It can be metabolic like ems or cushing that can cause them, but I would poultice and wrap in a plastic feed sack duct tape it on and turnout, they are better off moving about to get the blood circulating and they clear up quicker.

 

[dogatemysalad]

It was cushings in my Hanoverian mare. She had no other symptoms, apart from having had a couple of absesses and I only had her tested because I was testing the old cob. His results were clear, hers weren't.

 

[AandK]

Cushings or mineral imbalance. My older horse had a really bad run of abscesses when I moved to another county, tested negative for cushings so I dug a bit on the internet and found an article by Forage Plus. Supplementing zinc/copper etc and sorting diet helped massively.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

My old boy gets abcess quite regularly through the winter. I always just poultice and turnout as walking round helps blood flow which helps the abcess burst and heal. You have to get quite inventive with the poultice to keep it on in a muddy field but it is possible!!

 

[oldjumper]

Previous horse had abscesses once or twice a year for first few years due to flat feet and thin stony turnout. Feet improved with keratex and feeding Alfa a. He was a total nutter? so box rest never an option. Used hoof boot over poultice til I couldn’t afford replacing them then gaffa tape/nappy/canvas/plastic combo. We both got pretty good at tubbing and poulticing in open field! Frequency declined with good care (and excellent farrier) and horse competed for over 20 years and retired sound as a pound. He was also a TB.

 

[spotty_pony]

Another thing it could be is a Keratoma. Quite rare but they can cause recurrent abscesses.

 

[Fieldlife]

Can he not be poulticed and kept out? My mare has had ongoing abscess drama since Oct and has been out most of that, even in a wet field. She hates being in and vet said movement is best.

She gets foot scrubbed, epsom salt in nappy, vet wrap, gorilla tape, rubble sack, more gorilla tape, woof wear poultice boot, overreach and this seems to be doing a great job at keeping everything clean. It is only ever damp when it rains as water seeps in from the top of the leg, but even then the damp by the foot is pretty clean by the time it has been through layers of vet wrap and nappy then soaked into epsom salts before it gets to the hoof!

This IMO

 

[Indieanna6]

Another thing it could be is a Keratoma. Quite rare but they can cause recurrent abscesses.

This. My mare had recurrent abscesses for months until a keratoma was found and removed