How to Poultice a difficult mare

[abbieandfiona]

My loan mare has a abscess in her back hoof. Vet said to wet poultice it everyday, which i have been tring to do. Now i know you should sock hoof in clean warm water with salts etc however she will not let me do this. Tried adding hoof in bucket without water, with water no difference.

At 22 she knows every trick in the book, so have been using sponges or cloths to clean hoof every day with water. Then add on the poultice and vet rap quickly. Taking me around 40 mins a day to do. She fights the whole time with me, pulling hoof away. Rears up, doesnt matter if tied up or someone holding her.

So if any tips to get her used to it as appears she has never had poultice on before from talking to her owner.

 

[Bertthefrog]

Don't think there is a great deal you can do really - other than keep battling. The only thing that may would be to give her a haynet. or for someone to hold a bucket with a feed in to take her mind off what you are doing??

Fingers crossed her abcess settle down soon!

 

[abbieandfiona]

Food doesnt work tried that one today, hopefully farrier may have a idea when hes out as its not getting clean enough really to heal.

 

[jhoward]

is she ok to hose legs?

try a shallow bowl like a washing up one, start off running water down her leg, the pick up leg and let her feel it on the hoof then progress to the bowl. if she moves keep on with the water when she stands take it off her.. theory being she relises the sooner she stands the sooner it goes.

warm water is used for abcesess as the heat encourages it upward and outwards. the salt cleans.. she could be finding the salt stinging, you could aslo use hibi scrub in stead of salt.

 

[Dowjones]

One trick, if you have a helper, and can make sure both can move away if she swings her behind one way, is to have someone pick up the front leg, diagnol to the back leg. They can stand on two legs this way, our farrier does it with very difficult horses, both you have to be careful and alert.

 

[abbieandfiona]

No she is no good to hose, will try other idea maybe 2moro doesnt help as im by myself doing it friend said she will pop along and help me again like today.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

If she will pick up her foot, you could try syringing the water onto the underside of it.
We did this with a very difficult Clydesdale mare. She did get much better and eventually we could stand her with her foot in a very shallow rubber trug.

 

[abbieandfiona]

If she will pick up her foot, you could try syringing the water onto the underside of it.
We did this with a very difficult Clydesdale mare. She did get much better and eventually we could stand her with her foot in a very shallow rubber trug.

That may be a great idea esp as i can pick her foot up to pick out and could hide that in my pocket before she sees it! Thanks

 

[eggs]

I had a very well mannered horse who simply would not stand with his foot in any sort of tub - and trust me I tried all different ones. To clean his hoof I used to fill a large squeezy (think Fairy Liquid) bottle with warm water and would squirt this over his sole. He was good to put a poultice on though.

I would have everything close by, pick his hoof up, squirt with water, put poultice on, cover with a baby nappy, wrap in vet wrap, wrap in duct tape. It is useful to pre-tear strips of duct tape and loosely stick them to your leg as this speeds things up. It sometimes helps to let the horse put their hoof down once you have the nappy securely on to have a rest (you can put an old towel down on the ground where their hoof is going to go).

When you change the poultice, if you are careful about how you cut the poultice off you can re-use the nappy - duct tape part which speeds things up too.

Make sure you are not lifting your mare's hoof up too high - at her age she may find it uncomfortable.