Comments on: Hoof Abscesses and Puncture Wounds

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 23 May 2017 16:29:29 +0000

Very concise description and easy to follow instructions. Have had horses for 50 years and this was my first abscess which was easy to deal with after reading your article. Thanks!!

By: Charlie

Charlie — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 12:41:03 +0000

We’ve had more and more customers come to us looking for ways to pick up stray nails from riding arenas and race tracks. We’ve got a number of happy customers who use our magnetic sweepers to pick up stray nails. http://www.magsweepers.com

By: Jodi anderson

Jodi anderson — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:17:47 +0000

Hi. I need some help. I bought a 3 yr okld QH gelding in June. On his first night at my place I out him in with one other horse for company. In the morning I came out to find a huge hoof mark on his neck with some swelling. He was also “off” when I trotted him. At first he was just short striding with his left front foot at the trot. I got a vet out and he said to stall rest him for 2 weeks. I Sid that but he has never gotten any better. He was barefoot when I got him, so got a farrier out and we testes his feet for accesses and couldn’t find anything. I put shoes on him and there was no change all summer. Last week I took him to another vet and he said he had inflammation in his feet and injected both front feet. Still no change. I had a horse chiropractor work on him. She said his pelvis was rotated to the right and thrust forward along with a few other things. She fixed that and then today 3 days later I got his feet done again. Now he is sorer than ever. The farrier said he was really tender at his heels on that side when he pinched the shoe on. Could this possibly be an abscess that is taking months to erupt?

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:53:11 +0000

I have a horse that got a nail suck right in the middle of thr hoof ive given them bute,ive cleaned it out with salt and warm water to clear the infection. Ive also given them dexametazone, uniprim, but he hasnt healed at all. He is not swollen or anything but i can see it pains him to walk. what should i do?

By: Cori

Cori — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:49:37 +0000

My boy has a stone bruise that turned into an abscess. Never shod so shoeing wasn’t the problem. It was by the frog- healing well with the poultices and soaking, but he HATES being in. Too bad for him – it’s wet and muddy outside so in he stays. As long as his mare companion is in with him, he’s okay, and it’s better that she’s in too, because she’s susceptible to sterile abscesses too with her flat soles. He’s more cup-soled than she is.

By: Tess

Tess — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:41:49 +0000

I have a horse that has an absess. My farrier cut the absess out. It has been about 14 days. I have taken care of it every day. He is in a show barn so he is in a clean dry stall. He has slightly improved but is till very lame. Is there anything else that can help him inprove faster.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:46:19 +0000

Great informative article. My horses have had several abcesses.

By: Pat Wagner

Pat Wagner — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:02:30 +0000

Abscesses don’t just radomely happen in the solar surface of the hoof. Abscesses are caused by flare. Flare caused the white line (laminae) of the bars and/or walls to stretch and separate. Once there is separation of the laminae, bacteria and debris invade and begin assenting (tracking) toward soft tissue. Abscesses that start in the whiteline of the outerwall tract to the coronet. and the ones that gain access to the whiteline of the bar, tract to the heelbulb area to rupture. Bar abscesses can affect their entire solar surface of the hoof and rupture between the heel bulbs, but they always rupture at soft tissue. The laminae left in the path of an abscess is dead and will be replaced with new laminae as the hoof grows out. Some bar abscess will cause disconnection of the entire heel on the side of the hoof where the abscess began. What causes flare? Incorrect trimming, trimming for shoes and neglect. That’s all there is to abscesses. This article needs a rewrite.

By: colton

colton — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 07:09:51 +0000

Don’t use bute it draws the infection in closer use banamine

By: abigail

abigail — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:13:21 +0000

I have a thoroughbred that is having a lot of trouble with absess. She had a bad farrier that hot nailed her. She has had several absesses over the last couple of monthes. I have found a wonderful farrier that has helped a lot with her feet. As long as we keep her shod she does ok but as soon as she looses a shoe her feet bother her. He was saying that he thinks her coffin bone has turned. Can you give me some more info on this and ways i can help her.