Abscesses: Horse Hoof Hell(p)
Such a delicate flower.
How can a 1200 lb. animal be such a delicate flower? Dodge is indeed that in several ways, especially when it comes to his hooves. One could say they are his Achilles’ Heel, er Hoof. It didn’t always used to be that way. In the dry climate of Colorado, he was an easy keeper as far as his hooves were concerned. But here in Seattle, it’s been a different story. Abscesses have become an all too frequent occurrence, especially during the wet winters here. To be sure, anything more than one abscess episode in a horse’s life is one too many. But this winter alone, Dodge has had three doozies. This despite the supplements he’s being fed (Platinum Performance and Farrier’s Formula), the hoof treatments I’ve applied regularly (Durasole, Keratex), the 13 stall mats I’ve added to his paddock for mud management, and the twice daily picking of his stall and field. Can I just say having to perform numerous abscess treatments sometimes feels like one of the stages of hell? More generously, I should say Heaven, since it is an act of service. Either way, I feel like I’ve become a bit of an expert in hoof abscess care. Here are my tips for making these trials more manageable:
Action shot: Dodge wearing his soaking boot.
Once you and your farrier and/or vet have determined a hoof abscess is present, one of the first and best things you can do is soak the foot in warm water and Epsom salt for 10-15 minutes. You need a sufficient amount of water to cover the hoof, at a temperature warm enough to dissolve the Epsom salts, with enough of the salt to saturate the water. The exact quantities depend on the vessel you use to manage the soaking. In a pinch, a rubber feed tub will do, so long as you can keep your horse from knocking it over (if Dodge didn’t slosh out the water from his soaking sessions in a feed tub, it was a miracle). A far better option I’ve discovered are these Hoof Soaking Bags. Worth every penny. Performing this treatment has been so much easier since I got these.
After the therapeutic soak to help draw out the infection (and conveniently clean the hoof), the next step is applying a poultice for 2-3 days to continue to do the same. I like to use either an Epsom salt gel like this one, or a piece of wet Animalintex, which is my vet’s go-to. The beauty of the Animalintex is that it’s a pad already infused with antiseptics, whereas with the Epsom salt gel, one needs an extra first aid pad or baby diaper to hold the gel to the hoof. Either way, you’ll need bandaging material such as Vetrap to keep things in place (be sure to stay beneath the coronary band). And don’t bother with the cheap stuff. I’ve used a lot of Vetrap over the years, and in my experience, the more inexpensive brands can be maddening to use as they tend not to self-adhere as well.
Proof that the Easyboot can stay on and not wear through even on Dodge.
The final step on the path to abscess healing and recovery is to protect and cover the hoof poultice in such way that it says on for 2-3 days. You could make a cross-hatched piece of weather-proof material with duct tape and then tape that to the hoof. Been there, done that many a time. But if your horse is anything like mine, no matter how many layers of tape are “laminated” together, it will wear through in a day, or even less. So exasperating, as it means having to repeat the soak/clean/poultice/bandage/protect process over, and over, again. Hence my earlier reference to abscess management and hell. Thankfully, I’ve found a better, reusable, sanity-saving option: a therapeutic hoof boot called the Easyboot Cloud. It fits his large diameter hooves and still stays on, and best of all, doesn’t wear through. Wish I had made the investment sooner.
So, there you have it. Best practices and products for saving brain cells while getting your horse back on the mend for more enjoyable activities together. The only thing better would be a magic spell. If you’ve got one, let me know :).