# Field kept horse with abcess



## megs22 (25 February 2015)

I keep my pony living out all year, the problem is she went lame 3 days ago on a hind leg I've been poulticing it and today whilst hot tubbing a very small amount of pus has come out of her sole, although I change the poultice everyday I'm struggling to keep it clean I vetwrap it, cover it in plastic then I use tape over it, I would love to bring her in but I don't have access to a stable and she hates being confined, how do you deal with keeping your horses feet, dry and clean when its muddy?


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## NZJenny (25 February 2015)

All of mine live out 24/7 and I have always done abcesses in the paddock.  I know I will get a whole lot of kickback, but I just leave them.

Trying to keep poultices and boots on is just impossible especially in the winter, so I gave up trying years ago.  And yes, they get wet and muddy, but no dramas or disasters to report.  

I just leave the absecess to do it's thing (no digging) and the horses moving as much as they are happy with does the rest.  Mother nature seems to take care of her own very well, and I think that sometimes we do more harm by keeping the bugs in.

PS - everything is vacinated for tetnus, which would be my biggest concernt.


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## Noodlebug (28 February 2015)

My mare has just had pus in her foot but she comes in at night. I poultice it and then duck tape. Then put a freezer bag on and cut up thick bag for life, vet rapped that on and then more duck tape!! Worked a treat! She has lived out and just had to  put a on dressing in the mud. The freezer bag did work as long as there something on the bottom. Some people use plastic lids cut to size?


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## nianya (28 February 2015)

Mine were out 24/7 too.  There was some product you could use that was practically tar, with a baby diaper and duct tape worked pretty well.  But generally I just cleaned them up daily, soaked their foot and that was it because she wouldn't keep anything on her feet anyhow.


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## JillA (28 February 2015)

YOu can get a poultice boot but on the occasions I have tried to use them I struggle and struggle to get them on or off - whereas a horse seems able to remove them in about 5 seconds in the field! The link has gone strange but search on ebay for them, there is lots of choice.
I never like keeping them in after the first 24 hours, I reckon most beds are dirtier than the average dry field, so make sure she can't access deep mud and then do the poultice/vetrap thing with layers and layers of duct tape over the top to form a "boot". Works so long as they are walking on top of the ground and not fetlock deep in mud,


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## avthechav (28 February 2015)

NZ Jenny, for the first time ever last week due to a combination of factors  I left an abscess! (Horse not completely crippled and in my defence I monitored for a couple of a days) but for the first time I didn't stress, poultice, soak etc and it burst by itself. Last year when the same horse had a bout of them I spent hours poulticing, vet wrapping, booting, soaking in the dark and still had to have the vet out to dig it out. I think next time I will monitor for a few days before going all out in the poulticing soaking route although I guess this may have just been a one off.


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## megs22 (28 February 2015)

Thanks, I love the idea of using a plastic lid, as the bit I am struggling with is she wears through the duct tape and double plastic feed sack. I hot tubbed it yesterday and finally pus came out although it was only a little, she instantly felt better as she flew across the field bucking.
I'm not sure if I could leave it without doing anything seeing them hobble and in so much pain feels wrong to me, maybe I just need to harden up!

Next question how long do they generally take to heel after they burst?


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## avthechav (28 February 2015)

To be fair if I had satisfying pus then defo keep poulticing.  Each time g had one it just wouldn't come to anything so still ended up watching him hobble round but still battling with poulticing etc.... I think one of the problems with abscesses is that the reasons for them are so varied that each one responds differently....bloody frustrating things! I think now you have pus you need to keep poulticing until no more pus.  My vet advised wedging iodine soaked cotton wool around drainage hole and dry poulticing for a couple of days after. If there is a big hole you can get that hoof putty stuff to fill but I always worry that unless it's completely clean inside you just end up trapping dirt and causing more issues.


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## spookypony (28 February 2015)

What worked for my mare in mud was the following: animalintex, then a baby nappy (newborn fits her). Then a whole roll of vetwrap, then a thick plastic bag, then enough duct tape to wrap all round, like the vetwrap. Then cut off excess plastic bag.

Nevertheless, have wondered about the wisdom of the poultice battle...


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## nianya (28 February 2015)

I think I quit bothering trying to soak out abscesses when one I never even knew she had blew out the back of her heel, and none of the ones that lamed her ever obviously blew out.

My farrier commented that soaking mostly just made me feel like I was doing something as he'd never seen it work.  Didn't help when she had dry land strangles abscesses either, so I just wait until they open and clean 'em.


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## KVH (28 February 2015)

A couple of old plastic feed bags (not carrier bags) and duct tape over the poultice when it's muddy. 
In the summer I'd turn out with a hoof boot, equally I would use a hoof boot on occasion in winter for extra protection (if horse hadn't ripped said boot!) with plastic feed bags duct taped over.


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## mightymammoth (1 March 2015)

have a look at this old thread http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?193549-Poultice-Turnout-Boot-Help!

as someone on there suggests I use a shires poultice boot


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## JillA (1 March 2015)

KVH said:



			A couple of old plastic feed bags (not carrier bags) and duct tape over the poultice when it's muddy.
		
Click to expand...

Take care how tightly you tape the plastic on - my farrier once told me of permanent tendon damage due to a plastic poultice cover being taped too tightly above the fetlock. But too loose and it won't stay put which is why the boots are better


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## Merlin11 (1 March 2015)

I have also successfully used a shires poultice boot


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