Abcess, again and again and now again!!!!!!!

[gwenoakes]

Saintly has had two abcesses in one hind, still got the duck tape, dry poultice on and now he has come in hopping lame on other hind tonight. Some heat in back of fetlock and slight swelling. Farrier was there he has dug out and can find nothing! This bleep, bleep horse is an absolute nightmare! His shoes were taken off some weeks ago, do you think it has anything to do with this. Clutching at straws now. The vet is coming tomorrow and that will be another £85 plus again. Arrrrrrgh.

[Louise C]

Youch, poor thing. What does the farrier think? My boy has never been shod and has had a couple of bruised feet this year, one in May and one in October, but that's the only 2 ever in the 4.5 years I've had him. Equally I know of shod feet that have abcesses as well so it doesn't always follow.

[touchstone]

If I remember tightly I think that there is a school of thought that says some horses may abscess when the shoes are removed as because the hoof is functioning better it is able to get rid of any areas which have not been functioning or bruised to replace with healthy tissue, sorry haven't worded that very well, but it's like having a clearout I think, (someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure I've heard it somewhere!!) Mine are all without shoes, but have never abscessed.

[Azrael]

That abcesses being normal when shoes come off thing is a strasser idea. Other trimmers would be more likely to say abcesses are from overdoing the work leading to bruising and abcessing or from weak white lines letting nasties in. Shod horses get abcesses to though so could be nothing to do with having the shoes off.

[PD]

Agree with Melanie, what work has the horse been doing since his shoes came off?

[bicky]

Hi Gwenoakes,

If it is the horse in the pic he/she looks a cobby type. I have exactly the same problem if I don't keep shoes on my heavyweight cob mare.

I think it is because they are very flat footed (underneath I mean, on the sole if that makes sense) and they tend to put their foot down on the ground with a sliding action. All that sliding makes it much more likely for them to gather gravel/stones/little puncture holes in their feet, therefore resulting in an absess. I think I mean heavy footed.

This is just my humble opinion but it is certainly true is my cob's case. Good luck

[gwenoakes]

Hi - thanks for your replies. Cancelled vet as much better this a.m. Farrier been again tonight, as far as he is aware (he is very good) there is no abcess. He is not in any work and hasnt been for 2 months approx since Clare has had her whiplash. Still little heat in fetlock. Farrier says absolutely nothing in foot, but could poss burst out of coronary band. No it is not the horse in the photo - Saintly is a TB/ID although Jack full shire in photo is shoeless on hind and has been for some weeks now. Dont know whether to say this, fingers crossed, but he has been ok. Its just THE pain, Saintly. Saintly was shoeless for approx 6 months last year when he had the fetlock injury and had no probs, but having said that a lot of the time he was on box rest. If this horse never has anything else wrong with him the rest of his life he will of had his fill already and he is only 9. Just a total walking disaster. Think it is a watching and waiting game at the mo. Thanks anyway.

[beany1]

I was warned when mine went barefoot that he could get some abscesses for a few months but to hang on in there - he didn't funnily enough, but got loads when shod...

[PD]

Gwenoakes, have you got any photos of the abcessing feet? The cause might be apparent to the trained eyes on here....

[mickeymoo]

Mick got an abcess that wouldn't go away and I was desperate. A guy at the farm kept telling me to put a bread poultice on as the yeast draws, but did I listen.. eventually after the abcess returned, I made my poultice in a pair of tights - soaked it in hot water and carefully put it on the foot - left it on for 12 hours and you should have seen what came out - it was thick black and yellow gunk after that I had no more puss out of the foot.

So now I swear by bread poultice. The only problem I had this year when Mick had an abcess was - I had laid everything out on the wall and prepared the foot - I could hear some chomping but never thought anyting of it until I looked for the poultice - yes the damn horse had eat it - tights the lot. Bring out the liquid parafin. Was terrified all night that my horse would die - but he's still here to tell the tale.

I find he abcesses when the land is very wet and it's warm weather. I have never had shoes off as he is so flat footed and his hooves just broke off when I have shoes taken off because of the last abcess. Would this right itself with time?

Sorry to go on.

[Louise C]

mickeymoo - if you are interested in going barefoot it's best to get a qualified trimmer who will definately shape the foot a lot better than most, although not all farriers. I use a KC trimmer, and it has done wonders for my boys feet, they are a lot tougher than they were and not flatfooted any more. Where are you based?

[mickeymoo]

I would definately be interested in finding out more. I suppose making the transition is the hardest part. My main worry would be any discomfort to the horse - but I suppose any initial discomfort is outweighed in the long term.

He is so flat footed. I originally had him shod every five weeks, but my farrier said he could no longer do this as there was no new growth for him to nail to. I have tried every seven weeks but I used to do a lot of road work so the shoes were very worn by this time.

I am in Derbyshire next to Shipley Country Park - so going barefoot is more of an option now than it has ever been - 5 mins down the road.

[Louise C]

www.equinepodiatry.net/ is the website of the KC trimmers, you should be able to find one local to you on there. They are very happy to come out and discuss things with you and will say whether to pull them all off at once or do backs first then fronts, it all depends on the indivudial circumstances.

Good luck.

[gwenoakes]

Sorry havent any photos. No abcess as yet appeared, thought it would have done by now. Think poss he has knocked himself somehow. Good to know he can STILL keep us guessing lol.

[Louise C]

Perhaps he's just bruised in which case you will get no abcess - but they can still be hopping lame!