AYLESBURY LODGE

Yes folks, a little rain and suddenly some horses start limping around like they have a broken leg... everyone goes into panic mode and then there are those who look to blame someone for it. If your horse becomes lame suddenly, then the likelyhood of your beloved having an absess should not be overlooked and here is some info which will hopefully aid you if your unfortunate enough to have it happen to you.

What is an Absess?

An absess is an infection in the horses hoof.

How Does it get there?

They occur when objects get into the hoof; such objects can be dirt, mud or grit, or can even be a nail which has shifted ir indeed an old nail that has been left on the ground. The foreign object can lead to an infection in the hoof that can be quite painful. Hoof abscesses can also be caused by something sharp having pierced the bottom of the hoof.  They are very common in horses once there is a bit of rain as even a crack in the hoof will lead to the possibility of absesses.

How do we know if its an absess?

There are a few tell tail signs. By using a hoof tester, a farrier can find sore spots in the horses hoof. The infected area is softer and painful to touch. Often however, the infection is not yet exposed and will need to be "drug out" by a vet or experienced farrier and either should be contacted. Do not go digging at your horses hoof!

Another sign is if the lamness is sudden, the horse will favour/baby that leg and will limp around in obvious discomfort with no other signs of injury. It is not likely for joints, etc to swell were and absess is present. Unless it has been left for some time.

How do we treat it?

Despite the pain, the worst thing you can do is give a horse Bute when an absess is the cause of the problem, as it slows down the healing process and the drawing out of the infection, which is the next critical step.

If you have to wait for your farrier or vet, apply a poltice. Soak cotton wool in iodine and cover the sole with a piece of canvas or leather (anything to stop the leakage and wear). and wrap with vetwrap or ducktape, securing the poultice.  Pop your horse in a dry clean stable/yard to avoid risking further infection. This will help draw out the infection. As the horse puts weight on the foot, the idodine (thanks to the cotton wool) will be pushed up into the infected area and thus cleaning it out.

In some cases, it is not unheard of for vets to put a horse on antibiotics for absesses either. But as in everything prevention is better than cure!

So how can we prevent it?

1) Make sure in summer, horses hooves are kept oiled and well maintained. Cracked hooves are like inviting an infection to come and party in your horses hoof once things get a bit damp.

2) Ensure during winter, your horse has a dry place to stand and regularly clean his feet. As not doing so can lead to other bacterial problems such as Thrush.

3) Maintain regular visits with your farrier - especially in winter. 

Here are some Hoof facts that may be worth noting:

a) When wet, a horses hoof expands by 20%. Thus in many cases, leaving a horse for 6-8 weeks with shoes on is not really a good idea, as nails will shift and the hoof will appear to grow much faster in some cases. This is not something which can be controlled by the poor vet or farrier (so don't phone and give them the attitude), this is an individual thing and every horse is different. Should you notice the hoof expand and come "over" the shoe, get your farrier to come up and reset the shoe.. as leaving it could also lead to an absess.

b) Did you know that is it advised by professionals in the US that a horse should be shod/shoes reset every 4 weeks irrespective of condition changes? Certainly food for thought, when a vast majority will leave the hooves until the shoes start falling off before calling out a farrier..