Point of hock sore that wont heal

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MissMincePie&Brandy

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I have a gangley TB, who rubbs his nearside hock by laying down, or rolling. There has been a small scar here ever since I bought him, and rolling in the field, and laying down in his stable will often re-open it. Its a small area about 1cm diameter, and it doesn't bleed, but it is raw.

I clean it and put sudocream on as a barrier twice a day. I've tried bandaging the conventional way, but due to its position it isn't easy.

I've thought about putting a plaster over it, but if the plaster got wet, that might make it more likely to become infected?

Any ideas?
 
My bog horse had that on his near side - found it went when I put rubber mats down. He had a huge thick shavings bed but obviously scraped himself getting up or down. Problem solved with mats underneath.
 
Aquamax with rubber matting. I know this is NOT ideal, but he's on livery and yard rule is they all have to be on this bedding, so I can't change. His bed is kept clean, and last skip out is 8.30pm. In the past if others have complained about the bedding the choice is to move, but I don't want to move as the yard is pefect and very lovely, and apart from the hock, he is in stunning condition, especially for this time of year.
 
I had exactly the same problem last summer with my TB. It wasn't a big cut but it just wouldn't heal. He kept taking the scab off every night and I was washing and purple spraying every morning worried that it might get infected. I assumed it was because he always scraped his bedding in the middle away leaving a bare floor and so I went to the expense of putting down rubber matting. This didn't help, so I then started looking into rubber wall matting in case he was scraping it on the wall. Just when I was about to order the extra rubber someone suggested that I just leave well alone for a couple of days to see what happened. Low & behold it cleared up all by itself. It seemed that all the washing and spraying was just keeping the area from actually healing. If you don't think this would be the case for you (Every situation is a little different) Then another option I considered was going to be hock boots. I think Roma do some and Shires. Good luck.
 
I would leave it alone unless it gets infected. By dressing it twice a day you are probably stopping his body getting a chance to granulate the wound and scab it.
 
I would certainly ask them to put more bedding down - and think about dressing the wound overnight - but keeping it open in the day perhaps.
 
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I would leave it alone unless it gets infected. By dressing it twice a day you are probably stopping his body getting a chance to granulate the wound and scab it.

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Ditto this! My gelding had a sore in exactly same place for ages (was on aubiose and rubber matting) it was always sore looking and a bit weepy but didn't bother him so I left well alone and it has now heeled up and I'm guessing the skin there will be a bit tougher. I think by putting sudocreme on twice a day you will be softening the skin and not giving it a chance to heel.
 
Thank you people!
I definately agree with letting the air get to it and trying to let it heal naturally, but it gets caked in poo and mud, so I have to clean it regularly. I'll stop putting the cream on it to see if that helps, and I'm having a look online for a hock boot suitable for all night wear - that isn't going to make him sweat. If there is such a thing?
 
Can you put some more bedding in? IME hock sores are due to not enough bedding when people have rubber matting although I'll admit I'm not familiar with aquamax, plain old straw for me
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With the aquamax, it's not a deep bed. It's used because it's very easy to keep clean, and the muck heap size is reduced. It's not like a traditional deep shavings or straw bed. Also the aquamax woodfibres are very small, so stick to the grazed area, which is why it's important I clean it in the morning.

It seems as though it probably is the bed then that's aggrivating this, but I need to try everything else before I tackle the bed issue, due to reasons i've already mentioned.

When I bought him, he'd been on a thick straw bed, and he had a scar from this rubbing problem then as well, although it wasn't raw when i got him.
 
Maybe you should teaching him how to stand up properly, he sounds rubbish at it!
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Faecetious (sp?) comment aside yep, ask for more bedding, or just buy a bale and empty it in yourself?
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