A few days ago I was riding an endurance race and my horse stepped on a nail, probably near the vet check which was located in the woods at an old logging camp. I had just started my second loop when it became obvious something was wrong. I was really upset and jumped off and picked up his foot and saw the nail. Yikes! It was bent and not in very far... I pulled it out noticed a little blood on the tip of the nail. I headed back to the 2 vets and had them examine him. He was not lame at all and they announced he'd be fine to go on, as the nail had only been able to go in a little due to it's shape. We rode the next 15 miles and finished in great shape. He passed all vet checks and was quite sound. Next morning he was a bit lame on that foot, so I gave him bute for the trailer ride home and called ahead for antibiotics. I have soaked it in warm epsom salts for 3 days and he's had antiobitics for 3 days as well. This morning after soaking I saw that he had a little abscess on his heel bulb on the same foot as the nail injury. The nail went in about 3 inches from the heel, near the edge of his shoe, not near the frog. I wonder if the heel bulb abscess was the source of the lameness and coincidental that he stepped on a nail on the same foot? An abscess takes longer than 2 days to happen build up doesn't it? I have never had a horse with an abscess and it surprised me. He is much better now, though I will continue the meds until they're gone, and the soaking for a few more days. What would cause an abscess on his heel bulb?
Posted 2007-07-10 11:59 PM (#63643 - in reply to #63641) Subject: RE: hoof abscess
Elite Veteran
Posts: 644 Location: Odenville, Alabama
He may have been compensating for the nail and traveled back on his heels just enough to iritate the heel bulb. But more than likely, the nail made a track back toward the heel and that was the easiest way out for the infection. Keep up the soaking and I'd add some Ichthamol to his sole to draw out any more pus.
Posted 2007-07-11 7:53 AM (#63645 - in reply to #63641) Subject: RE: hoof abscess
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
I fought that last year. My colt stepped on I think a nail. never really saw what. He abcessed, we did X-rays, we did antibotic drips in the vein in his pastern. I really struggled to clear it up.
After several weeks of working with my vet to heal it, and it did not heal. My farrier suggested a poultice made from 2 cups of salt and 2 egg yokes. Mix it together and packed it into the frog after soaking it in Epsom salts. Duct taped the hoof up and left the poultrice as long as the duck tape held.
Maybe the Poultrice worked, Maybe the antibotics from the vet finally caught up with the infection. But it cleared up. But it was a six week process.
Posted 2007-07-11 10:52 AM (#63655 - in reply to #63641) Subject: RE: hoof abscess
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
An abscess takes longer than two days, but I've never known an endurance horse and I'm sure those extremes change some circumstances. Chances are the abscess was brewing and once he stepped on the nail he shifted his weight on that hoof and exacerbated the condition. Thus bringing it to a head sooner rather than later.
I second the soaking in Epsom salts and using icthamol on the puncture and abscess. I'd also have my farrier look at the hoof to see if he can speed up the healing process with corrective trimming/shoeing.
Posted 2007-07-11 11:37 AM (#63660 - in reply to #63641) Subject: RE: hoof abscess
Elite Veteran
Posts: 781 Location: La Cygne, KS
This is going to sound strange, but it works. If you still need to draw out the pus from your horses hoof, use 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup or little more of Iodine and mix into a paste. Pack into the hoof and use a medicine boot or baby diaper and vet wrap/duct tape. Leave it on for 12 hours and then resoak the hoof in Epsom salts. Continue for several days until the pus has drained. Your farrier can also assit by possibly drimmeling out a spot to allow for faster drainage. Hope he has a fast recovery.
Posted 2007-07-13 10:16 AM (#63836 - in reply to #63719) Subject: RE: hoof abscess
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385 Location: washington
yep - my horse is current on his tetnus. The abscess has cleared up as has any sign of lameness. His heel actually looks like he did clip himself, now that the swelling has cleared up. There is a little crescent shape cut on his heel bulb and yes i have been using warm epsom salts soaks, iodine and betadine, in addition to antibiotics. He seems good to go now. I am now wondering if i whould use bell boots for the short term to protect from reinjury. He is usually very careful with his feet and hasn't done this before that I know of. It is a little worrisome.
Posted 2007-07-13 12:02 PM (#63856 - in reply to #63641) Subject: RE: hoof abscess
Veteran
Posts: 235 Location: Keymar,Maryland
Sounds like you will be OK. However, in the future it is generally recommended not to pull anything out of the hoof. Your vet will need it to remain so he can x -ray it to see the depth and what it may have invaded. Sometimes the sole will heal and leave a nasty infection brewing inside that later wreaks havoc on internal structures.Consult your vet for his/her opinion on how to handle this in the future.Good luck, Rich
Posted 2007-07-13 8:07 PM (#63869 - in reply to #63836) Subject: RE: hoof abscess
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434 Location: Brooksville, Fl
That little crescent shaped area on the heel may just be the place where the abcess broke through and not actually the horse stepping on himself. Oddly enough, my horse (who I plan to do our first endurance ride in Dec ) came up with the same thing...He doesn't tend to step on himself either and was not lame but sometimes they don't go lame from abcesses. The bell boots will definitely help protect him just in case and that way nothing else will rub against it until it is healed as well.
Posted 2007-07-13 9:39 PM (#63876 - in reply to #63856) Subject: RE: hoof abscess
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385 Location: washington
At the moment I jumped off and saw the nail, I thought about the fact that you shouldn't pull it out, but I was 12 miles from our camp, up near the top of the mountain and didn't think I could or should get him all the way back to the vets (about a mile) with that nail still in his foot... I took note of exactly where it was and how far it went in (it was bent in an L shape, so couldn't have gone in any further. I took the nail back with me to the vets , so they could see everything. Boy, was I scared! I almost lost a horse to a nail wound about 7 years ago, but in that case, it went up about 4 inches, in the crease at the frog. That was a very bad situation. The vet gave me a 50/50 chance of saving her. With weeks of hot soaks, poultices, antibiotic shots and oral antibiotics she pulled through. It is amazing what you can do, how little sleep you can go on and how much trust your horse can have in you. That was 2 months of nothing but care and worry for my horse, and that flashed through my mind when I saw the nail in my current horses foot.
Posted 2007-07-13 10:17 PM (#63878 - in reply to #63641) Subject: RE: hoof abscess
Elite Veteran
Posts: 644 Location: Odenville, Alabama
You're lucky. I lost a prospering endurance horse to a nail (actually some type of "barb") in the crease of the frog. Fought it for months, but the abcess worked it's way up to the coffin bone. Had surgery to clean up the end of the coffin bone, but he never recovered enough to race again. I spent oodles of money and time trying to get him right. Sadly, I gave him to a wonderful home where he is loved, and they occasionally ride him. I hate an abcess.
Posted 2007-07-15 4:32 AM (#63906 - in reply to #63641) Subject: RE: hoof abscess
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 391 Location: Columbia, KY
About 15 yrs. ago I did a 100 mile endur. ride w/ my mare.. she finished happily in 9th place, strong and sound, 2 days later was 3 legged lame. Naturally I was frantic! turned out she had an abscess- who knows what from and how long it was brewing. I soaked her hoof in epson salts twice daily then immed. afterward wrapped w/ icthamol satutated gauze for several days then switched to "sugardine" (betadine solution mixed w/ sugar) diapers work well to use for part of your wrap. then put duck tape around the whole thing. it took about 3 weeks to resolve.
abscess (s) can be scary things. sometimes they are minor and will just pop out the cor. band on their own but I've also seen them get infected and work their way into the bones. that happened on a client's horse and it eventually had to be euthanized. very sad...
Posted 2007-07-17 11:31 AM (#64020 - in reply to #63641) Subject: RE: hoof abscess
Veteran
Posts: 235 Location: Keymar,Maryland
I understand the judgement call in pulling it out. Good that you noted it so well. I know not everything can be carried into the field but you may consider taking a piece of 2" dense styrofoam ( at least it's light), roughed out a little bigger than the hoof, and a short roll of duct tape along. One can " carve out" where the offending item is and the styro taped on. I carry a hunk in the trailer as well and the application instructions from hopeforsoundness.com. It's one of the simplest and cheapest thing to do for any hoof problem and renders immediate comfort for the horse and does not interfere with any later vet / farrier. Rich
hoof abscess
) came up with the same thing...He doesn't tend to step on himself either and was not lame but sometimes they don't go lame from abcesses. The bell boots will definitely help protect him just in case and that way nothing else will rub against it until it is healed as well.