Would a crack in the bulb of the heel on the off hind cause lameness?

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Doncella

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As above really. My horse is slightly unsound behind and the only reason I can come up with is that he has white feet a touch of mudfever and a tender heel bulb.
 
What do you mean by a crack in the heel bulb? Most abscesses, left to their own devices, exit at the weakest point of the foot - the join between the bulb of the heel and the lowest point of the back of the pastern. If this is where your "crack" is, your horse probably had an abscess and it's that making him lame, not the crack. I always treat this exit wound by flushing out daily with hydrogen peroxide 3%, for a couple of weeks. They rarely cause trouble if they exit at the heel, but don't let it close up, keep flushing it so it heals from the inside out.
 
did one recently that had a puncture wound from (probably) a black thorn. Only found the hole by pure chance. A quail's egg of cheese cake pus came out. First time I've found one like this in 30+ years but I've had plenty of horses sore in the heel bulbs for one reason or another. As per CP can be exiting abscess, but often just weak and bruised.
 
What is it about blackthorn? We have some round one of our fields and we had a bigger tree camee doiwn last year. Had to clear it all off the fencing - scratched my arms on the thorns and every single damn scratch went septic and inflamed. :mad:

Never underestimate the humble hawthorn either - I ran over a branch with the 4x4 a couple of years ago and one fo the thorns went right throught he sidewall of my tyre - that was a nearly new all terrain tyre too. Made me wonder what on earth kind of damage it would do to a horse.:eek:
 
LucyPriory said:
did one recently that had a puncture wound from (probably) a black thorn. Only found the hole by pure chance. A quail's egg of cheese cake pus came out. First time I've found one like this in 30+ years but I've had plenty of horses sore in the heel bulbs for one reason or another. As per CP can be exiting abscess, but often just weak and bruised.
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A quails egg!:eek:Not an African swallow or even a ptarmigan!!How ornithologicaly correct are you?:D:D:D
 
cptrayes said:
What do you mean by a crack in the heel bulb? Most abscesses, left to their own devices, exit at the weakest point of the foot - the join between the bulb of the heel and the lowest point of the back of the pastern. If this is where your "crack" is, your horse probably had an abscess and it's that making him lame, not the crack. I always treat this exit wound by flushing out daily with hydrogen peroxide 3%, for a couple of weeks. They rarely cause trouble if they exit at the heel, but don't let it close up, keep flushing it so it heals from the inside out.
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Right on the area, I gave it a good clean out tonight when he came is and I shall investigate this in the morning.
Thanks.
 
I tubbed the foot this morning and found a holein the crack, got some peroxide down it and the change from puffy obviously sore heel the complete opposite was amazing. I shall continue the treatment until cured.
Thank you all for your replies.
 
AHA! he probably had an abscess, what a good boy for not making more of a fuss about it, they are often on three legs before they burst. I'd keep the peroxide going for at least a week because they can heal over with stuff still inside and then burst out again weeks later. Don't be worried if the hole gets bigger, it usually does as the dead stuff sloughs off. It should not cause him any problems though it may look worrying.
 
Had the barefoot trim woman out today and she said that some horses will abcess when the heels start to come into play and that this was normal and all the rubbish would eventually slough off.
Horse is quite bloody minded so will try and appear sound what ever.
Horse now very sound and the wound is healing.
Not hippy trippy or anything but I'm trying him without shoes, and we're off SJ tomorrow.
 
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