Hoof abscess and mud

Wagtail

Wagtail

Horse servant
Joined
2 December 2010
Messages
14,815
Location
Lincs
Visit site
So little filly was hopping lame this morning on one of her hinds. She had been back out 24/7 in the field for the past 3 days as the grass diet was much better for her runny tummy and sorted it within a few hours. However, I think that she now has an abscess. I know the lameness is definitely in her foot and so have brought her in and poulticed it. There was a very slight improvement this afternoon so I have redressed the foot and left her in. Cue runny tummy again! Anyway, if she's better in the morning, I'd like to put her back out. Normally I would turn out in a poultice boot but it is just too wet and muddy and it wouldn't stay on her two seconds. So, If she's sound in the morning, would you turn out without a boot or am I likely to just re-infect the foot? The same thing happened to her this time last year when it was muddy and wet. Not had a problem with any other horses.
 
Firstly, with a hoof abcess I always turn out. Movement will help shift the pus. Secondly, I always soak, twice a day, in hot water with epsom salts for at least 20 minutes & thirdly I always cover the dressing with heavy duty plastic & copious amounts of water resistant gaffer tape. I will keep soaking & wet poulticing for at least four days. Depending on how much pus is evident on the poultice, if necessary I will then dry poultice for a few more days. I do like a hole made as it makes the draining of an abscess a lot quicker & the pain is eased, but I've poulticed without a hole & ime have they have cleared up within the week. Hope this helps.
ETA - once there is no evidence of pus on the poultice & the horse is sound, I leave the hoof bare.
 
Last edited:
I've turned horses out with poultice, (nappy over the top or cotton wool) then nappy bag or something similar and stronger then parcel tape.

Works a treat and allows them the movement to help circulation and in your case the grass instead of being stuck in.
 
we cut the corner off a feed bag (plastic ones) and pop that over the vetwrapped poultice and then tape it around the fetlock to keep on (obviously not tight to the horse) then trim any excess away from above the tape so as not to annoy the horse, has always worked well for us (currently have one on the go at the moment!)
 
I make the mother of all poultice boots for my mare, never lost one yet. Only thing is it does involve a lot of waterproof duct tape so you need a horse that is steady when you're cutting it off.

1. Soak in Epsom Salt and warm water
2. Poultice drain hole with animalintex or Magnesium Sulphate paste
3. Nappy
4. half a vet wrap
5. Single layer of waterproof duct tape (I like Gorilla tape)
6 Piece of carpet cut to shape of hoof
7. Other half of vet wrap
8 Wrap that baby up with copious amounts of Gorilla tape
9. Trim nappy so it doesn't rub

I haven't lost one yet, even in the muddiest gateway!
 
When I only had a field any politcing had to be able to stay on when they were out 24/7. I never lost on! I put epsom salts/animalintx etc, then a nappy and some duct tape, then a feed sack and a lot more duct tape. They always stayed put, even when they were playing and paddling about in the thick clay mud by the gate!
 
Wagtail said:
Thanks everyone. Looks like I need to find a way of keeping the boot on then. I hate this soggy time of year.
Click to expand...

Mine has one at the moment and vet found it already burst, I dry poulticed it for 2 days now he says leave it - rinse if muddy and dry it and put betadine in the hole.
 
Another vote for Animalintex, vet wrap, baby nappy, vet wrap, plastic feed bag or shavings wrap, lots of duck tape. Tip is to cut duck tape into similar sized lengths and stick together along the long sides to make a rectangle of tape to make it quicker to stick on. Make sure nothing is tight around the fetlock.
 
This will probably horrify some, but my gelding - the vet shy, needle phobic and non-sedatable one - had an abscess and the choice was pretty much between him having a poultice on or me having my head attached to my body. So I went with the latter option and left him turned out. It quickly popped and he had no further issues despite the mud.

If your filly is more cooperative, I would tub and put a decent poultice on before turnout. If it comes off during the day, tub again and re-poultice in the evening.
 
Just been out to feed and sadly she is more lame again now :( I'm hoping it IS an abscess. Very strong pulse now to the foot so it probably is. Hopefully not a pedal bone fracture or something.
 
Wagtail said:
Just been out to feed and sadly she is more lame again now :( I'm hoping it IS an abscess. Very strong pulse now to the foot so it probably is. Hopefully not a pedal bone fracture or something.
Click to expand...
Why don't you ask you farrier to check as they are good at finding abscesses in the foot, or get the vet.
*Better safe than sorry I always say.*
I presume she is not shod or been shod recently?

Have you got any hoof testers yourself to have a go to see if she sha a tender area then have a bit of a scrape round it. Thoroughly was the hoof top to bottom and have a good look for any tracks or holes.

I would try find the entry area before tubbing personaly. If none found ask farrier or vet...............
 
Last edited:
Moya_999 said:
Why don't you ask you farrier to check as they are good at finding abscesses in the foot, or get the vet.
*Better safe than sorry I always say.*
I presume she is not shod or been shod recently?

Have you got any hoof testers yourself to have a go to see if she sha a tender area then have a bit of a scrape round it. Thoroughly was the hoof top to bottom and have a good look for any tracks or holes.
Click to expand...

No, she's not shod. I know exactly where she is tender. It's the caudal hoof area. I'm pretty sure it's an abscess, but I always panic when it's one of mine! Will definitely get the vet if she doesn't improve with more poulticing.
 
My son's pony was lame on and off recently. Definately foot related, farrier visited twice and did some digging. Hot tubbed, poulticed etc she could be sound for two days and then I'd remove dressing and she'd go footy straight away. Took a few days for her to come sound and with a trim done it was evident that the problem was grit. I've since plugged the hole with cotton wool and stockholm tar.
 
My mare is out in mud about 6 inches deep with a healed wire cut that grew some proud flesh on her pastern. Every time I change her bandage, the area is clean and relatively dry. I pad it with a baby diaper secured with light gauze, then wrap the entire thing in Elastikon, down over the entire hoof and up to the fetlock. Then I cover the hoof area with duct tape and out she goes.

Wrapping is an art - there are a lot of boots and "easy" alternatives out there but nothing works like a good wrap.
 
I always turn out when it's an abscess. And, if it bursts or farrier finds a hole I do poultice, but I don't poultice a foot where I haven't seen any pus - leave it to work it's way out first unless farrier can have a dig.

Mine has been a bit footy for the last month, unsure if it was his mud fever or something brewing. Farrier took a look a month ago as I was suspicious but found nothing. A month later his heel bulb bursts. Four days later and only two poultices required, he is sound as a pound again. Plus the month off have me time to clear up his mud fever and give him a well timed holiday!
 
Thanks everyone. She is no better this morning but I have poulticed and turned her out in the field. Hopefully it will stay put!
 
Urgh! It's got far worse since she was turned out. She is obviously in a lot of pain. I will have to bring her in tonight and call the vet tomorrow I think. My worry is she's cracked a bone in her foot as usually poulticing a foot relieves the pressure quite quickly when it's an abscess. She goes in the field shelter and rolls a lot so I'm worried she's cracked her foot on it. :(
 
Don't panic yet, it's amazing how lame a can be with an abscess, and sometimes if they're particularly deep/large they can take a while to burst/flush out, though it's probably best to bring her in if she is terribly uncomfortable until you can establish exactly what is going on.
 
When my horse had a nasty abscess I was convinced he had broken a leg - he was that lame!

So don't panic yet……but maybe give your a farrier a call in the morning.

Good luck and keeping fingers crossed for you x
 
She is walking on the tip of her toe so obviously very sore in her heel. Also when I'm wrapping it, she doesn't like the vet wrap going over her heel. I have called my farrier and left a message. Have left the poultice off for now to get some air to it but will wrap it higher up round the heel area when I next dress it.
 
99% of the time it will be an abscess rather than anything more sinister. They can often look broken leg lame.

Hot tub as much as you can, sounds like it is going to go pop from the heel very soon
 
ihatework said:
99% of the time it will be an abscess rather than anything more sinister. They can often look broken leg lame.

Hot tub as much as you can, sounds like it is going to go pop from the heel very soon
Click to expand...

I hope so! Poor little thing. She's lying down most of the time when she comes in. Left her out in the sand turnout last night as thought she was better moving around, but will reassess later on. If she's too bad I might leave her in tonight as she is out with a huge two year old who she is normally in charge of, but I think he senses weakness and is hassling her.
 
ihatework said:
99% of the time it will be an abscess rather than anything more sinister. They can often look broken leg lame.

Hot tub as much as you can, sounds like it is going to go pop from the heel very soon
Click to expand...

Yep - mine has had one (still draining and poulticing). On Monday last week he was hardly weight bearing and was so miserable. It burst overnight into tues morning and he was immediately sound again.
I kept mine in for a few days to allow me to keep it clean, as it was one that had recurred. He has gone out today with poultice, loads of tape and a feed sack over it in the hope he will stay clean and dry.
 
chestnut cob said:
Yep - mine has had one (still draining and poulticing). On Monday last week he was hardly weight bearing and was so miserable. It burst overnight into tues morning and he was immediately sound again.
I kept mine in for a few days to allow me to keep it clean, as it was one that had recurred. He has gone out today with poultice, loads of tape and a feed sack over it in the hope he will stay clean and dry.
Click to expand...

Glad he's on the mend. My girl managed to get the front of the poultice off but there was black gunk on the back - hard to tell if it was pus though as the dressing had broken open so may have been muck.
 
Wagtail said:
Glad he's on the mend. My girl managed to get the front of the poultice off but there was black gunk on the back - hard to tell if it was pus though as the dressing had broken open so may have been muck.
Click to expand...

I reckon you should be able to tell by the smell of the black gunk! You can smell my horse's gunk a mile off ATM, it's horrible! Definitely smells different to mud.
 
We get them drained, pack them with sugar / iodine paste to fill the void. Add layer of stockholm tar, poultice, then use plastic feed sack to cover (put toe in corner), then cover in copious duct tape, especially in areas prone to hard wear.
 
Thanks. I have had another dig around and her frog does not look that healthy at the back and looks like something may have been draining from there, but also, it may be thrush. But I have never known thrush to make them hopping lame. Hopefully it will pop soon. If not, it's vet tomorrow as farrier has not got back to me. I know he is very busy right now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top