turning horse out after abscess

[SEL]

I found my mare hopping on 3 legs on Xmas day. She's been in (our fields are horrendous) with a poultice on and is pretty much sound now. Oddly I can't see an obvious exit hole, but she's very sore around her heel so I think it's blown out there. No pus on poultice this morning.

She doesn't do well in and desperately needs to go out. Any recommendations for wrapping the foot up to deal with knee high mud? It's fine at the top of her field, but the gateway is vile.

 

[dominobrown]

Plastic bag and duct tape if possible. And give a really good clean wuen she gets in. If ypu can get her moving on it it will do the world of good, gets the circulation going again.

 

[mandyroberts]

wrapped the foot in a nappy and duct taped in on just to make sure no dirt could get in. Then I wrapped leg in bedding bags (very heavy polythene and more duct tape. I only had to cover just above the fetlock and they do go through the polythene under the foot if you leave them out too long but at least I could get him out for a couple of hours. Would love to hear better suggestions!

 

[SEL]

I'm fully expecting her to do a rodeo act when she goes out - is having a bag on her foot going to make her slip more?

But she does need to get out - legs getting puffy.

 

[Charlie007]

I put poultice on first then a square of hessian sack. Then thick plastic kept in place with oodles of duct tape. It was the only way I could keep the dressing on.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I found my mare hopping on 3 legs on Xmas day. She's been in (our fields are horrendous) with a poultice on and is pretty much sound now. Oddly I can't see an obvious exit hole, but she's very sore around her heel so I think it's blown out there. No pus on poultice this morning.

She doesn't do well in and desperately needs to go out. Any recommendations for wrapping the foot up to deal with knee high mud? It's fine at the top of her field, but the gateway is vile.

I would pack with stockholm tar or leave dry with lint and cotton wool, then put a nappy on and make a boot out of duct tape cross tapping it, or get A HORSECROCZ

 

[SEL]

Thanks - sounds like a plastic bag and duct tape is the way forward. I was hoping their field would have dried off a bit after a week in. Noooooo!!!

 

[SEL]

I would pack with stockholm tar or leave dry with lint and cotton wool, then put a nappy on and make a boot out of duct tape cross tapping it, or get A HORSECROCZ

I looked a horsecrocz and a few other similar, but I think the mud will just get stuck in them.

 

[eggs]

Like others I tend to vet wrap a nappy or gamgee over the sole of the hoof then duck tape, then thick plastic bedding sack then more duck tape. A good tip is to cut a number of strips of tape and overlap them to make a big square which you can stick to your thigh and then easily slap on over the veteran or plastic. I tend to use two outer layers of duck tape - 1 running in the direction of heel to toe and the second running from side to side of the hoof.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I looked a horsecrocz and a few other similar, but I think the mud will just get stuck in them.

We have used Hotzrcrox in mud, the mud oozes in and oozes out again. The foot does need to have a nappy, vet wrap and heavy duty plastic bag under the Croc. But if you haven't already got one, I would use duct tape instead.

 

[SEL]

We have used Hotzrcrox in mud, the mud oozes in and oozes out again. The foot does need to have a nappy, vet wrap and heavy duty plastic bag under the Croc. But if you haven't already got one, I would use duct tape instead.

Duct tape it is - I have a lot of that. I might buy a croc for future abscesses, but given this is her first 'i can't walk' one then it might just gather dust (I hope!)

 

[Jo1987]

If you have an agricultural/farm supplies type shop nearby get some silage tape - it’s amazing stuff! Heat it up on your car heaters on full blast just before you wrap foot up (or in the microwave if you have one at the yard!) it’s waterproof and very tough, my horse was out for 12 hours in his poultice and hadn’t worn through it but he went through duck tape in 2 hours.
A bit of feed bag helps them last longer as well and can be used to go a bit higher above the hoof.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I just use a nappy feed sack and tape once they can walk they go out it actually helps the abscess if they can move around.

 

[canteron]

Shires do a boot in really thick plastic. Stays on my horse even in thick mud!

 

[buzyizzy]

When both of mine had bad mud fever earlier this autumn, I wrapped their legs up in round hay bale wrap and duck taped over the top. It was a faff with both of them, and they did look spectacularly funny with their wellies on in the field, but it did the job and kept them sober too.

 

[SEL]

Well the duct tape lasted 30 mins today so I need to try harder! Is it really bad that I'm wondering if she can go out without and pray that her immune system will stop any infection?

 

[abbijay]

Mine had his 2nd abscess just before Christmas. The first one resulted in a 3 week stay in horsepital as it tracked to his pastern joint so I was petrified.
It had burst through his heel and now he has a MASSIVE (1" x 1/2") hole in the back of his hoof. I kept him in for 3 days and kept it thoroughly poultice,I felt it was still draining so I spoke to my vet who basically said, "calm down. chuck him out in the field again (no poultice or wrapping) and make sure it gets thoroughly washed twice a day." If your field is awful can you tape off the worst bits?

 

[SEL]

Mine had his 2nd abscess just before Christmas. The first one resulted in a 3 week stay in horsepital as it tracked to his pastern joint so I was petrified.
It had burst through his heel and now he has a MASSIVE (1" x 1/2") hole in the back of his hoof. I kept him in for 3 days and kept it thoroughly poultice,I felt it was still draining so I spoke to my vet who basically said, "calm down. chuck him out in the field again (no poultice or wrapping) and make sure it gets thoroughly washed twice a day." If your field is awful can you tape off the worst bits?

That's a relief to hear, because she is nowhere near that bad! I chucked her out with a plastic bag and more tape on this morning, but its raining AGAIN so unless they both stand right at the top against the hedge (where I put the hay), she is going to be paddling. I'll get hot water on it when she comes in tonight and clean off the mud. This mare is a walking vet's bill so I do get paranoid.

Rather a stunning extended trot around the perimeter of the field because she was cross her companion wasn't out, so definitely sound. Now if only she could do that under saddle....