Intermittent lameness following nasty cut

[Stoxx]

Can I pick your brains on behalf of a friend please?

Brief background; horse came in from field pretty lame with a nasty cut around her fetlock on a hind leg. There was no evidence to determine how she did it so the only thing we could come up with is that she got her hind leg caught in one of the cross surcingles when rolling.
Vet came and dealt with the cut and she was box rested and given antibiotic jabs daily. Walking and exercise was introduced and maintained at the vets instruction. Horse was sound and went to do a prelim dressage test about a month after normal work had been resumed.
The week after she suddenly went very lame again, the vet was called and he said he thought it was an abscess, so they have been poulticing for a week, there hasn't been any significant gunk coming out. The horse now appears to be sound however she won't let you pick her foot up and is kicking out if you try.

Any ideas? Any one had any similar experiences?
To me if the horse was still protecting the leg due to it remembering pain then it would also be favouring it when moving around

 

[debradley]

The infection wouldn't have got into the joint would it?

 

[Marchtime]

I personally don't have any experience with abscesses (it's what the vet always seems to suggest but it never turns out to be one!). However from reading other posts on here I know it can take a couple of weeks for an abscess to drain. The horse can be intermittently lame for weeks before it decides to drain.
Why did the vet think abscess, did he test her foot or was it warm?
I know my TB can be a wimp - if he's had a cut heaven forbid you touch the leg for weeks after but he's always been that way.
If you think it is unusual for your mare maybe try talking to your vet, although I'm not sure what he can do if she is sound.
Sorry not really any help.

 

[Stoxx]

Thanks guys, I haven't been able to get on here since I posted that.
It is a friends' mare who I personally do think is a bit of a wimp, but I think like debradley said, I'd be more worried there may be infection in the joint or a chipped bone or something of the sort.

Just thought I'd see if anyone on here had any other ideas