Horse being a nightmare putting poultice on

[SNORKEY]

Hi, I've just had the farrier up and he found a very deep hole which is very smelly and he thinks this is what has made him lame. He told me to poultice it so I went to the saddlery and got three days worth of pads and bandages and a boot so he can still be turned out.
He's just been a nightmare getting it on, we don't have a concrete yard and he kept slamming his hoof down getting it dirty. Being 6 months pregnant made it even harder on me as well and my mums useless at helping. He wasted two days of poultice pads messing around, someone has said I can use nappys instead is that ok? I don't have time to go and buy more expensive poultice pads. Also will a few days be enough?
I've had horses all my life but I've never had to poultice one until now.

 

[Janesomerset]

I feel your pain; we've had the same problem when our pony was younger. We used to put an old sheet or blanket down under the hoof concerned, so when he slammed his hoof down, at least it didn't get muddy. We also used to put the wet poultice facing upwards on a "X" of narrow tape and then place the whole lot on and stick the tape round under the hoof as fast as possible, so at least it stayed put while we fiddled around with bandages, boot etc. Disposable nappies are ACE for dry poulticing. Is your pony easily bribed? A few nuts in a bucket used to help with ours, just for the trickiest part.

 

[Ranyhyn]

Yep old sheet will save most of the muck
Nappies have worked for me but it took a while for me to realise they couldn't languish in the boiling water the way those poultice pads can...think balloon
Criss cross your duck tape into a nice big pad and put it sticky side up under the ready wet nappy so when your horse slams his foot down onto it all you have to do is fold up the sides so it's secure, bit of a faff but I too had to try and poultice at 5 months pregnant and it was no fun whatsoever!

Also try tubbing too, it helped me lots!

 

[SNORKEY]

Thanks, il have to get duck tape as I was trying to keep it on with vet wrap which is a nightmare to do quickly, I've got some nappys at the ready now too.
What's tubbing?

 

[Ranyhyn]

washing up bowl with hot water and salts it made a lot of difference doing that every morning/evening as well as poulticing for me.

 

[Brightbay]

Tubbing is where you place horse's affected hoof in a tub, and gradually add hot water with Epsom salts dissolved in it, until it covers the top of the hoof. Then, ideally using a haynet or a few treats, persuade horse to stand in tub until the water goes cold (we managed 20 minutes with judicious feeding of the occasional fibre nut).

For poulticing, I prepare a "raft" of duck tape - you cut off a strip about 6 inches long, then another and stick it longways to the first, then again until you have a square of duck tape. Then do the same but where the first strips are vertical, stick the second lot of strips across them horizontally, so you have a reinforced square of duck tape.

Then, trying very hard not to let this "raft" stick to itself (an Olympic level skill IMO), you soak your poultice in a dish of very hot water, and get your vetwrap ready between your teeth . Squish as much water as you can out of the poultice, and then lift hoof. Very rapidly, slap hot poultice on to sole of hoof, and holding it with your third hand (what you do mean, you don't have a third hand? - OK, just use a handy finger), you do at least one turn of vetwrap around hoof. If horse needs to slap hoof down at this point, let them - the poultice should stay in place til you ask for hoof again. Finish the vetwrap job, and then, holding hoof up, slap your duck tape "raft" on the sole and allow horse to place hoof down (or stomp it down hard narrowly avoiding your toe...). Then you just fold the ends of sticky duck tape up the sides of the hoof, making a neat boot. You can trim this with scissors (ideally blunt ended ones if you want to avoid further vet visits or indeed, visits to the local A&E ).

This "boot" stays on my horse who lives out 24/7, for up to 24 hours.

Good luck

 

[TBB]

If you have a poultice boot, then a simple poultice is Epsom salts and glycerine. Mix them together in a bowl until the salts are all "gooey" and then just pour into the boot (don't have it too runny) and then put in the foot and hey presto. Its a very good poultice for "drawing" a foot. If you haven't a boot then the above put in a nappy will do the job, place the nappy on the ground with the mix on the centre of the nappy and then place the horse's foot on it and pull the nappy up and tape it quickly around once before they lift the foot and then when you're ready lift the foot and finish taping securely in place. Works for me, I find that I end up dropping animalintex poultices when trying to do youngsters (or older "idiots" who should know better) in the field as 99% of the time I'm trying to do it alone. I mix up a big batch of the mix at a time, in case of accidents, and bring it with me (much easier than hot water and ready made poultices). Tubbing is also very good if you have access to the yard and again you are using Epsom salts.