Hoof Abscesses In Horses

Shane Ellis

Jun 22 |19:42

It is that time of year, when constant wet ground and mud seems to lead to aspate of hoof abscesses.

If you have never had experience with hoof abscess it can be quite a frightening thing.Depending on the severity some horses will overnight go completely ten out of ten lame. Theleg may swell up and there may be considerable heat in the hoof/lower leg. Well the goodnews is that if recognised and treated early it is rarely a serious problem!!!

What Is A Hoof Abscess?
A hoof abscess is an infection within the hoof in an area called the lamina. The laminaconsists of hard and soft sections, designated the insensitive and sensitive lamina,respectively. The hard lamina is essentially the hoof capsule, and the soft lamina is thetissue that connects the hoof capsule to the bone, also known as the white line. On thebottom of the hoof, called the solar surface, the sole of the hoof connects to the hoof wallat the white line.

Recognising Hoof Abscess:
Most often the signs of an abscess are dramatic and sudden. Sometimes a horse can start outmoderately lame and become very lame fast. For someone who has never seen it before, a horsewith an abscessed hoof can be in so much pain that it can look like he has a broken leg.

Abscesses have some classic symptoms. Hoof tester sensitivity or pain in the area of theabscess, increased digital pulse to the hoof, decreased ground contact of the heels,swelling of the lower leg, pain to percussion (tapping the hoof with a percussion hammer)and an erupted tract of pus are hallmark symptoms. Any combination of these symptoms isenough to make a tentative diagnosis of an abscess.

Causes Of Hoof Abscess:
There are many causes of abscess in horses. In my experience the most common, in noparticular order are;

1. Bruises- Bruises can turn into abscesses. Bruises occur when the hoof suffers some sortof concussion either from an opposing hoof or object (rock, et cetera) hitting the hoofwall, or by stepping on something, usually stones. A bruise is basically a pocket of bloodthat develops when some blood vessels are broken. This pocket of blood is a wonderfulgrowing environment for bacteria. As the hoof grows out, the bruise grows out, allowingbacteria to invade the area and develop into an abscess.

2. Seedy toe- Anything that compromises the integrity of the hoof wall- seedy toe, cracks,bad flares etc can allow the invasion of abscess causing bacteria into the sensitivestructures of the hoof. As they grow the bacteria eat away at the sole and start travelling,usually dissecting under the sole and along the white line, travelling upward toward thecoronary band. As the abscess gets deeper and bigger it becomes more painful, sometimescausing the leg to swell as it gets close to the coronary band.

3. Foreign objects- Penetrating foreign objects may also cause abscesses. Afarrier’s nail hole may become infected and develop into an abscess. More commonly, though,the horse steps on a foreign object, usually a nail, and it drives into the sole, takingdirt and bacteria in with it. When the foreign object is pulled out the sole closes up,sealing itself and the bacteria in the hoof. If the area is not opened up immediately toclean out the bacteria and other debris, an abscess can form.

Treatment:
If you think your horse is suffering from an abscess call your vet or farrier immediately.He or she are best qualified to treat the infection. To make their job easier and helpprovide some relief to the animal poulticing the affected foot is always a good idea.Depending on the stage and the severity of the infection the horse will usually be back tonormal within 2 to 5 days.

Prevention:
As the saying goes "an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure".

Regular and correct trimming of the hoof will go a long way to preventing abscesses. Correcttrimming will help balance the foot thus evening out the stresses placed on the hoof wall.It will centre on promoting a strong, solid sole-wall junction (white line) that resistspenetration by debris. Hoof abscesses are less likely to occur when a solid sole-walljunction (white line) is maintained.

Regular cleaning out of your horses feet before and after work, hygienic stabling and wherepossible access to dry ground will all promote a healthy foot and more fun time for you andyour horse!!!

Visit Shane Ellis MasterFarrier for more information.

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