Tips & Techniques for poulticing ??

[Porkie]

Does anyone have secrets for good poulticing?

I swear gaffa tape has a mind of it's own. Last night I stuck myself to my horse!!

 

[eggs]

A tip I learned from my vet is to tear the duck tape into approx 30 cm long strips and stick them horizontally across your thighs then all you need to do is get the poultice, vet wrap etc on and then tape across the hoof with the pre-cut strips. Easy!

It also helps if your horse will stand still !!

 

[LouLou3]

Ha your post made me laugh because I've just had to poultice for the first time...my baby boy got the one the vet did off within 5 mins of her leaving

and then my first one off within an hour

...after a few attempts I can now do them and he doesn't get them off! Anyway that a side the vet suggested sticking lengths of gaffer tape together before to make a square then you can easily apply and seal the underside of the hoof and a friend recommended using 2 new born babies nappies instead of wadding. Its not as fiddly as I dreaded and now after 4 days I'm pretty speedy at it. Good Luck

 

[katherine1975]

Poultice, then vet wrap, then gaffer tape, farrier suggested going to tyre place and getting an old inner tube and cutting a bit off and pulling it over the top. Worked really well. I used nappies when the foot no longer needed pouliticing but needed to be kept dry, then put a boot on top.

 

[Porkie]

How's the best way to do the gaffer tape part though?

I try and do it like vet did, by making a star shape, attaching to foot then filling in the gaps but I'm not very good!!

 

[Bojangles]

Im useing at the moments two nappys, double layer of plasic feed bags and loads of tape!! I cut it down by bulb of heel silp off and then reuse next time as it kills my back as he keeps snaching his foot away ended up starting all over again!! I did use vetwrap at first now after him snatching it away ive gone to useing two nappy once poulictes is on, which seems to be working and it's much quickly!! Now I just wish the pus will all go!!!!!

 

[pixi]

see if you can get any cotton money bags from bank and put it over the dressing as a boot tape at the top .even good outside aslong as its not wet days

 

[kateeevans]

I would definitely recommend pre prepared squares. Depending on size of hoof (my boy is only a pony) I cut 6 inch long strips before I went into the box and made a square of them, this kind of size is more manageable to stick to your jeans for feeling off and more easily transfered once you've picked the foot up and do a base layer. The longer the strips the more problems I had with getting it all stuck on itself, so smaller squares which you can layer up really made my life easier!!

 

[thespider]

If horse is on soft bedding, we always use nappy, then a pop sock! Saves a fortune on vetwrap and actually lasts fine but only on soft bedding.