Wound on pony's sole

Sprogladite01

Sprogladite01

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I've borrowed a little welshie to keep my boy company while my mare has gone off to be sold. Within a few days, my farrier had come out to do my pony's feet and as she needed hers doing, he gave her a trim too. Now, this pony had not had her feet done in a VERY long time and had a lot of overgrown sole, as well as being extremely flat footed. Despite being super conservative with his trimming, one of this little lady's hooves started bleeding quite dramatically, my farrier said that where he'd trimmed the sole it had essentially peeled off a small section a layer below and that she's clearly had several episodes of lami in the past. So she now has a wound on her foot. This happened 8 days ago.
Initially she was very sore for a couple of days, but showed rapid improvement with iodine soaked hoof pads and a few days box rest. She went back to turnout (poulticed up) the day before yesterday and was fine, and then yesterday on my farrier's advice she went out with bare feet. Yesterday was fine, but today she's come in lame. Am going to re-apply pads/iodine poultice but just wondering if anyone has any helpful advice? I am just wondering if turnout while it's so wet/muddy is really going to be doing her any favours - surely we want her sole to harden up and regrow rather than be soft and soggy. Or am I overthinking.
For what it's worth, my farrier has historically been brilliant and thinks she will be ok and it's just the wetness that's softened her hoof up and why she's sore again. He hasn't steered me wrong so far but i feel even more responsibility to give this girl the best care as she isn't mine (and I've had her 5 minutes and she's already lame). Also I hate seeing her uncomfortable, she's a very sweet girl bless her.
 
I'd be keeping her out of the mud. You have an open wound and you absolutely do not want infection getting into the hoof. Do you know for sure that her tetanus is up to date? I'd put a sterile poultice on and use some kind of hoof boot that will keep the foot clean. There may also be thrush there if her feet have been so neglected.
And if it's not right in a day or two, I'd get the vet out.
 
My mare got a random wound in her sole, no idea how, discovered when picking out feet. I have to say that I did keep her in and poulticed it initially then kept it bandaged until it had appeared healed over, which took a while. I did look at trying to use field paste in the defect and scrub it twice daily and reapply the paste, but sadly because of the shallow nature of the wound it just wouldn’t stay in, so I moved to livery temporarily.
There is a paste that you can heat up and pour in to defects - this didn’t work well for me because it was shallow and it was winter and trying to get it clean, dry, resin/paste temp correct, hold foot up while dries was not possible for me as have no hard standing and was middle of winter.
If I had hard standing I would poultice initially on that, and look at having a resin applied and see how it lasted on hard standing, but would probably enlist the farriers help with that because my attempt with a lighter and spoon was a nightmare!
I also called her vet when it happened and they prescribed her antibiotics

The pastes I used were red horse products
 
I would be keeping her out of the wet until the wound is healed. If it allows dirty water in you risk an abscess. I hope she's got her up to date tetanus jab. The iodine will toughen the area.
 
No idea on her tetanus jab status - her owner is a 'let them be natural' sort of owner and doesn't really intervene much as far as I know, but she's 25 now so 🤷‍♀️ his opinion is to chuck her out in the field and she'll eventually come right. Didn't even want me to disinfect it or feed her balancer but to be honest I've done both. I don't see how you can heal without proper nutrition! Her other feet look reasonably okay, no thrush evident. But she is the most flat footed pony I have ever seen in my life.

I've brought her in, cleaned her hoof and sprayed with 10% iodine and applied an animalintex pad soaked in iodine. Now completely padded up and covered in duct tape and I'll be keeping a close eye on her. The wound itself looks good and like it's starting to heal so I think I will keep her in for the forseeable as I was never completely comfortable with putting her out with nothing on it but took my farriers word on that one. Or at the very least make sure she has her duct tape boot on if she goes out. I am already (unofficially) in contact with my vet about her who is happy with my course of action for now. She's definitely much more comfortable with it re-dressed and on a super thick bed and she was happy to come in today bless her!

I do have red horse field paste on hand but I think the wound is too shallow and won't do much good. Luckily I have hard standing on my yard and my gelding is an absolute saint when it comes to keeping poorly ponies company!

Am giving her stable a proper clean out tomorrow and a fresh new bed in an effort to eliminate germs. Hopefully she'll be feeling better soon 🤞
 
Honestly - I'd be getting a vet out. There's a problem if routine farriery has caused a bleed and she is still lame a week later. She likely needs pain relief.
 
OP- it is wonderful what you are doing for this pony and all the care you are giving her.
Discuss tetanus injection with the vet. Tetanus is a truly horrible disease that causes the most awful pain. The passport should record the jabs but I'm guessing you don't have the passport. If pony had jabs in the distant past, she may be ok, but don't just risk it.
 
Pleased to say she's much better today and no longer visibly limping after popping the iodine pad on. Straight after the wound she did come sound and then went lame again after going out, and now she's coming right again so I'm assuming it's the wet conditions softening her hoof up and causing the soreness before she's had a chance to heal properly. She's been in out of the wet since my first post and seems to be doing her good, along with a nice thick clean bed.

Cushings did cross my mind but she's not exhibiting other symptoms (currently) but believe me I am keeping an eagle eye on her. My hands are somewhat tied as her owner lives within sight of my property and he does not want her being "put through the mill" (his words). I don't have her passport but she is a former show pony and her owner shows other horses very very successfully so am assuming (hoping) that jabs are all up to date. The wound is looking really good so am pleased with that at least. If at any point I think she has an infection or I feel it's in any way a welfare issue I can't address, I will get the vet more involved regardless. Vet was happy with the photo of her hoof I sent earlier today so that was good!
 
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