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Abscesses, A Misunderstood Phenomena
From The Perspective of a Horseowner
by Rachael Ward
Abscesses If you've been around horses long enough, you've probably experienced the anguish of finding out your horse has an abscess. You've probably been met with much conflicting advice and information, too. Simply put, an abscess is the way a hoof rids itself of dead cells and damaged tissue caused by trauma to the internal structures of the hoof. Much like a boil or pimple, pus forms and festers and sooner or later, out it comes. It can burst through the coronet, the sole, the bulbs, the frog or wherever it finds the easiest path.
Here's where the conflict comes in though. Conventional sources tend to believe that abscesses form when foreign material gains entry to the hoof capsule via a widened white line or penetration of the sole by a sharp object. And sometimes this is the case. In my personal experience, this has occurred when a horse gets a thorn, nail or other sharp object stuck in his sole. But this has been a pretty rare occurrence. Far more commonly, abscesses are the result of damage to the corium WITHOUT penetration of a foreign object. This damage could be caused by solar bruises, laminitis, lack of circulation as a result of incorrect hoof form or shoeing all sorts of things can result in what Dr. Strasser refers to as a "purulent inflammation of the corium".
Here's an example: Your horse has been shod for 5 years and has contracted heels but is otherwise pretty sound. Somehow you hear of the barefoot movement and decide to pull your horse's shoes and go barefoot right away for optimum horse health. You trim your horse's feet with the assistance of a Hoofcare Specialist and afterwards he has fabulous hoof mechanism. Very proud of yourself indeed, you pat yourself on the back for doing such a great job. But, a week or two later your previously sound horse greets you at his gate with a very ouchy right front and an obvious reluctance to walk. Upon further investigation, you notice his hoof is very warm to the touch and he has a slight digital pulse. Now what do you do? Put the shoes back on? Stick him in a stall? Panic? Dig a very large hole in his sole with a hoof knife? Pour chemicals on his hoof and give him lots of bute? Nope, none of the above.
What you should do is the exact opposite. Understand that during the 5 years your horse was shod, damage has occurred inside the hoof and until now the hoof did not have enough circulation to expel it. Your horse needs continued freedom of movement, frequent correct trimming and daily exposure of the hooves to water just as he always has. And to help him out with getting rid of the yucky stuff and keep things clean, soak his hoof for 30 minutes a day in a solution of apple cider vinegar and water. (About 3 tbs. to a hoof boot of water) Within a few days he should be feeling better and you'll probably find an exit hole either in the sole or the coronet, don't be too impatient though a really big abscess might take as long as a week to burst (sometimes even longer).
The timetable for complete healing of an abscess varies, if you are concerned that the abscess is not healing as it should or think that you may have misdiagnosed the problem be sure to contact your Hoofcare Specialist for further assistance. Horses who have had laminitis, severe contraction, navicular syndrome or other serious hoof problems may suffer from frequent abscesses for up to two years.
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