Thin soles and abscesses

[hunter13in]

I have a 13 y/o TB. I just got him several weeks ago. His hooves were not maintained in over a year at the old place. He seemed fine at the old place and while transporting. The morning after I turned him out at the new place, he was lame. Several abscesses appeared in his left front hoof. I treated with ichthamol for several days and I left him stalled. Farrier came out and trimmed. He told me this TB has extremely thin soles and flat feet. Abscesses on his left front hoof both burst. Now, several days later, I find he has several on his right front. I am, again, treating with ichthamol.

What can I do to nurse these hooves back to normal? It seems like he will continue to have these problems as long as his soles are thin and flat. What about pads? Boots? Special shoes? He will walk around now, but he will put ZERO weight on right front hoof. Farrier says he does not look like he's foundered or has laminitis. He is fed 10% sweet, twice daily along with T&A hay.

 

[Foxglove]

As you say his feet are very flat it could be that the pedal bone is very close to the sole and is probably bruising.

My tb had very poor feet when I got her and developed an abcess about 8 months later. I treated it as standard but she didn't come sound so got the vet thinking it needed drained. In fact the abcess had gone but as her feet had grown down, the laminae had stretched, therefore the pedal bone had dropped, putting presure on the sole.

My farrier had always believed you shoe to the white line, however he has sinced liased with the remedial farrier in my area and also the vet. The decision was taken to turn her away for a few months, really cut the feet back and pack them with equithane to support the bone and wait and see how they grew.

The cutting back was quite drastic and she did have to be buted up for a week as she was very sore, however I am back riding her now, her feet look a millions times better, she still has the equithane in but apart from the time taken there has been no ill effects.

My vet did mention plenty of different shoes, most were expensive and only specially trained farriers can fit them. Fortunately I have not had to go down that route yet.

Also, I have found feeding formula 4 feet and applying hoof disinfectant has ben invaluable.

Maybe speak to you vet and see what he suggests.

 

[AmyMay]

You may well need a course of antibiotics and bute, as well as supportive farrery

 

[lizzieuk1]

we have a pony in the yard who is a chronic laminitic, in order to help the farrier uses leather pads on both front feet, i am convinced this has saved his life since he has so much dead laminae that there is no support at the front of the hoof, the pads help him weightbear and have saved his pedal bone falling through his sole. I would def recomment using leather pads not synthetic/manmade ones since the hoof needs to breath also use eucalyptus on the soles twice a day as it really helps to harden them off and acts as a strong antibacterial

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

if you live near the beach, take your horse to the beach and walk in the sea, if not a salt water foot bath may help on top of what you are doing already, this will help with cleansing

 

[spaniel]

The sea water will be great, sadly the sand wont do open wounds any good at all.