Possible bruised foot soles- Help and comfort needed!

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Spirit7

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Hi
My lovely horse recently (2 weeks agao) had an abcess on his near fore.
Last weekend he was onto dry poultices and really fed up, so I decided to graze him in the sick paddock after duck taping him up very well. Saturday ws fine, in fact I let him off the lunge after a bit when he decided to do a few circuits rather fast but was fine and seemed just about sound (in gallop)
On Sunday I went to do the same but
unfortunatly I overlooked the fact that he is 17hh and wanted to gallop regardless of my intentions, I had him on a lunge and it slipped though my hands toooo fast.
Anyway, 4 days on, the farrier is booked for tomorrow but my horse looks lame and very shakey all round even though he has had 3.5.days box rest.
Does anyone know how long it wil take to get him right after shoeing based on their own experiences. I know its all differnt and it might be a differnet problem but i'M REALLY WORRIED I have messed him up.
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Any advice at all would be fab.

Thanks
 
Bit confused - why do you think he has bruised his soles? Have you got the hoof testers on him? Is he sore? Have you checked his legs for heat or swelling?
 
Yes I have checked his legs (everyday twice a day!) The obvious reason s to why I think its bruised soles because he has no shoes on and was galloping around and he looks sore on all feet.......No I have not got hoof testers on him, as I said the farrier is coming tomorrow to shoe him.
Help!
 
The easiest way to see if he has bruised his soles is to check with hoof testers for sore spots. If you haven't got hoof testers, just press down hard on the sole with your thumb and if there's any give in the sole, they're probably a bit soft and more easily bruised. If he has bruised his soles, not a lot you can do other than give a few days of bute to make him more comfortable and get him shod. Be patient - bruising is uncomfortable for the horse and can take a few weeks to settle.
 
Hi again Kit270, thanks.....Forgot to mention that I have not had him so long and have been trying to get his heels lifted as they were really flat and one was cracked and semi-collasped before I bought him! (passed 5 stage no problem though).

If any one else has any other opionions I would sleep better for hearing them!
 
TBH, if he's had an abcess and now's got bruised soles - he may be unsound for a while. Hard to say how long, maybe 2 or 3 weeks. Maybe shorter if the bruising isn't too bad. It's really hard to say without seeing him. But he's a big boy, and presumably fairly heavy, so it may be wise to turn him out with foot protection for the next couple of weeks. He won't want to be standing in, but hoof boots will protect his bruised soles and give them a chance to heel without re-bruising.

My mare suffered this same problem last month. No abcess, just a bruised sole. Her shoe was removed on the offending foot and I kept her in for 3 days, and poulticed it daily with a hot Animalintex to draw the bruising out. After that, I protected her foot when she went out with a Shoof Hoof Boot. I initially tried an Easy Boot but it kept falling off no matter how tightly I applied it. The Shoof Boot looked really light weight and flimsey, and I had little faith in it staying put, but applied tightly it worked absolutely brilliantly. Never moved, even when she was sound enough to start hacking out again (and before the farrier was able to refit the shoe). Even in rocky, muddy going - it stayed put and didn't wear or rub.

Once the sole was heeled I kept the hoof dry and applied Keratex Hoof Hardener to the soles all round, to encourage strengthening. I had front pads fitted in front (it was a front foot that was bruised) when she was re-shod - just to give the foot an additional period with protection in place. At her next shoeing the pads can come off as she is not prone to this problem.

If your horse is fairly new, it may be he's going to be prone to bruising, so it's definitely worth liaising with your farrier about the best way to proceed to protect him whilst his feet are improved in shape.
 
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