The Hoof Print - Ontario Farrier

Recommendations

Info

The Hoof Print Produced by Greg Birett Farrier Services The Abscess: What is it and how to do deal with it For anyone who’s ever had a horse with an abscess, it can be a worrisome experience as your horse can seem fine one day and come out of his or her stall lame the next. Fortunately, once detected, an abscess can often be treated fairly easily and once treated, your horse’s pain will typically subside quickly. What is an abscess? A hoof abscess is an invasion of bacteria trapped in between sensitive and insensitive structures of the hoof that multiply to form a liquid-filled pocket that puts pressure on the soft tissues. They can cause the horse to go three-legged-lame or go completely undetected, depending on the location in the hoof and the amount of pressure it’s causing. An abscess can be caused by a puncture, a bruise or laminitis (which leaves an absence of circulation in an area and resulting necrotic tissue), or an abscess can start with a particle of foreign material that has migrated up the white line and become infected. Gravel is a term for an infection in the white line; a subsolar abscess is in the sole. An abscess in the white line will follow the path of least resistance and therefore may travel up to drain out at the hairline, or down to exit at the sole. A gravel abscess occurring at the heel will usually have a much speedier recovery than when it’s located at the toe because there is less distance for it to travel (the toe length is longer than the heel length) and the natural expansion and contraction of the horse’s foot at the heel allows for the migration of drainage much more easily. A subsolar abscess is usually fairly easy to treat and drain provided there are no foreign particles left in the foot. Generally the more lame the horse is, the easier the abscess is to find and excavate. Those ones where the horse is just “slightly off” can be extremely hard to find, and if it’s in the white line at the toe you could be waiting for a very long time. Treating an abscess The treatment I usually recommend is Animalintex, which is a poultice available at most tack shops. It adds lots of moisture to the hoof which allows the laminae to open up and the infection to work its way out. Check the expiry date on your Animalintex, it does have a shelf life and you don’t want to be wasting time using a product that won’t work optimally. I don’t like to suggest soaking the foot in an epsom salt bath until the abscess has been opened up because if the foot dries out too much from the salt, then the laminae tighten up and the pocket can’t drain. After poulticing the foot, vet wrap or duct tape will keep it in place and it should be changed daily. An easy boot is good protection to ensure the dressing stays on. once draining has been established and the patient is comfortable moving around again, a few days of a ten minute epsom salt foot bath will help to finish the job and pull any remaining infection out of the foot. one or two more days of poultice is a good idea to prevent it from starting all over again. I’m sure all vets have their own treatments to recommend. You should always contact your vet to ensure tetanus shots are up-to-date and to confirm that the problem isn’t something more serious which could cause further injury if not treated properly. In some cases antibiotics are administered to prevent the proliferation of bacteria. While no one is happy to have a problem with their horse, finding an abscess is often somewhat of a relief because the prognosis is much more favourable than many of the alternative problems that can cause a horse to go lame. With proper treatment a horse will usually make a full recovery within a week or two - which is a lot better than other equine ailments.
The Hoof Print Produced by Greg Birett Farrier Services Horses For Sale Quiet & Willing Hunter Prospect Four-year-old TB/Paint gelding. Quiet and sensible. Does walk/trot/canter and started over fences. Brought home ribbons at first show (hack division). Currently 15.2 hh, should mature 15.3 hh. Located at Rivermore Stables, Milton. For more information, call Lise at 905-467-1481 or Annie at 905-580-2664. Sweet Hunter Mare 2002 bay Holsteiner cross mare by Lancaster, 15.3 hh. Shown successfully in hunter ring. Auto lead changes, excellent movement, and a scopey jump, this mare will make a wonderful companion for a rider looking to do well in the hunter ring. Asking $10,000 or best offer. Call Meghan at 905-527-7430 or email megstewart29@hotmail.com. World Class Warmbloods Black Lightning Horses has a vast selection of warmbloods for sale ranging in age and training/show experience. All horses are well-mannered and handled daily. For more information and photos/video visit www.blacklightninghorses.com. Talented Hunter Youngster Four-year-old TB/Hanovarian gelding. 15.3 hh, bay with four socks and a star. A true pleasure to work with and ride. This talented boy was Reserve Champion for the 2010 Central West Trillium Circuit Training Hunter Division after entering only six of the 11 shows. Selling due to lack of time with two young children. Photos and video available. Call Leah at 905-635-4950. What’s an Ergot? Horse ergots are similar to chestnuts whereby they are thought to be a vestige of a toe. The ergot grows on both front and hind legs, on the rear underside of the fetlock joint. Most often they are covered by hair and easier to feel than see. The ergot’s composition is a bit like the soft hoof wall material and as it grows, the outer portion gets tough. The size and amount of growth varies from horse to horse. While it’s not necessary to remove ergots, many horse owners do so primarily for aesthetic reasons. If ergots are pinched or rubbed (if very soft) regularly, they can easily be removed. However, if a horse’s ergots are very long and tough, they can be trimmed down by your farrier (as can chestnuts). Congratulations, mate! After a long wait, Anthony Daly (Greg’s assistant), finally received the good news that he’s been accepted as a Canadian citizen. Congratulations! HORSE TREATS Here’s a quick and easy recipe for making your own horse treats. We’ve yet to find a horse that doesn’t love ‘em! Ingredients 2 - 3 Apples 3 Carrots 1 cup Flour 5 cups Oatmeal 1 carton Molasses Pinch of Salt 1/2 tsp Sugar Instructions Use a food processor to dice apples and shred carrots. Mix apples and carrots with flour, sugar and salt. Add oatmeal and mix in molasses. If the mixture is too runny, add additional oatmeal. Form into small balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 375 degrees. Store in fridge.
Page 1: News Bytes OFA Conference Plans are

The Hoof Print - Ontario Farrier

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?