Punctured Sole, advice please (also in CR and vets)

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MegaBeast

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My mare has had a loose shoe last couple of days (farrier comes to yard fortnightly but came two weeks running so is now week behind, should have been done last week) and I arrived at the yard this am to find her hopping lame, unable to weight bear and dragging her foot behind whilst trying to hop, only lameness I've ever seen similar was a suspected broken leg so was panic stricken.

On investigation found she'd caught the shoe on the base of the stable (pulled some wood off) and twisted the shoe which was now hanging on by one nail.

Got the shoe off, still dead lame, eased up in half an hour and she was weight bearing and moving around comfortably and deigned to eat breakfast so put her out as normal.

Got her in lunchtime having decided to give her a day off just in case and when scrubbing her feet before putting Kevin Bacon on found the side clip from the shoe has dug a hole in her sole. It's gone sideways rather than vertically so not horrendously deep and she doesn't wince when I push a hoof pick in so scrubbed it clean with hoof disinfectant and poulticed. nothing was coming out of the hole, which is centred between the frog and wall because the show was twisted.

She's sound, so would you carry on working her? Farrier is coming Wednesday and will hopefully fit a pad, or just look and say that's fine and not deep enough to have done any damage. I don't want to make things worse but she seems comfortable now (although may not be come morning) so shall I carry on as normal? Thinking to plug the hole with vaseline and use a hoof boot then poultice again overnight

Was hoping to go XC schooling Friday and then school round West Wilts after the event on Monday, but obviously won't if she's not up to it, but don't want to rest her unnecessarily if that makes sense!
 
I wouldn't work her without the shoe - no. I wouldn't have thought there would be any problem poulticing again tonight - even as just a precaution....
 
keep puncture wound clean.

Its likely to infect/abcess at which point you should poltice again, but if you keep the wound clean this is less likely to happen

Your farrier will be able to look at it and see if the shoe can go back on. If she is not lame them riding her is your call, some will and some wont ride without a shoe etc. But i would recommend waiting until you see the farrier before riding.
 
Should I put another poultice on tomorrow? Farrier is coming Wed.

How thick is the actual sole? I'm not totally sure that the sole has been fully penetrated as the hole has gone sideways

Have worked her minus a shoe before with no problems, would only be on a surface.
 
The sole is about ten ml. No need to poltice (wet) unless the horse goes lame.

A dry poltice on the other hand will help keep it clean. I say no need to poltice because you have already done so and nothing came out.

If the horse remains sound there is no reason why you cannot work her, but you run the risk of driving debris into the foot. (i would keep the dry poltic on until the farrier comes.)
 
Thanks TheFarrier, haven't looked at the poultice yet as leaving it on overnight.

Don't think it's actually gone through the sole, would guess the hole is about 3-4mm deep and runs sideways, so parallel to the sole, hopefully this will reduce the likelihood of infection occuring? I did give it a good scrub with the LifeData hoof disinifectant before poulticing

Might work her lightly tomorrow with the hoof boot on if the poultice is clean overnight
 
Still moving okay but decided not to work her, she's sensitive to pressure on the area and there's no point rushing things, was wary of getting surface into the hole.

My vet had a quick look this evening, he's also conveniently a friend and I keep my mare at his wifes yard; he's pared the hoof back and it has just gone through to sensitive area so has advised poulticing overnight for 4days, boot during the day, ride so long as she's sound and scrub thoroughly with disinfectant. After poulticing, provided all seems okay to use a pad to protect the area for a while. And has tentatively given the go ahead to go xc schooling on Monday, will be keeping my fingers crossed that an infection doesn't set itself up!
 
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