What would you do if this were your horse?

Question

My mare had a terrible abscess 2 yrs ago. It ruptured at the coronary band and ripped open half her hoof.  It eventually grew down and half the hoof came off.  It took an entire year for a new hoof to grow in.  She has had corrective shoes on throughout the ordeal to hold her hoof together.  She has continued to have smaller abscesses ever since.  She has good days and then she gets another abscess.  Her hoof wall is now completely healed and her sole looks good.  
My question is, do you think it is possible that all these smaller abscesses are still debris working its way out or has she developed a chronic condition that will never stop?  I have discussed my options with my vet and we will be x-raying on his next visit to see if there is something going on inside.  If the bones are now damaged, I know I will have to put her down.  But has anyone else ever had something similar happen and how did it turn out?    I don't want to give up on her too soon if there is still hope.

Marleyy,.☺ · Accepted Answer

My horse is the same way i havent been able to ride him in like a year and he has had continually had little abcesses and now has a huge one and were waiting for it to "pop" but i had someone come look at him from msu and she said he was just purging everything out of his hooves and eventually he will be fine so im going with that and soon maybe i will have my amazing horse back! So I definiatly no how you feel and maybe your problem is different but i would hold off as much as you can before putting him down. Good luck an hope i helped!

? · Answer

Is your mare an ex race horse or a jumper, if so it is probably a shattered bone that has umpteen hundred little shreds in the foot and may never stop abscessing. Ask the vet to look for a chip on a bone somewhere in the hoof. Wait until the vet gets through ex rayin the foot and then see what happens, if it is a chipped bone you may have to put her down. An no this thing called natural hoof care which is a partial trim would do her no good, in the wild she would have died already.

AllAroundQH · Answer

I wouldn't give up hope. My sister used to have a TB mare (off the track) with terrible feet. She was constantly getting abcesses. We eventually sold her because we just didn't have the facility at the time to manage her needs (she needed to be stalled, with shoes, all the time, and at that time we weren't doing that), but as of a couple of years ago she was owned by a little girl who did everything with her (and was sound); before that she had a brief career in eventing with the girl who bought her from us--no problems. Many times, hoof issues can be managed--the key is finding what works and sticking with it.

horse · Answer

There's definately still hope. I think the best solution for her would be natural hoof care, as the hooves are shaped like horses in the wild, and this makes it so the hoof is able to heal itself.

Anonymous · Answer

I think that the horses hoof ma have just been healing and in the process small absecesses grew. I think there is definatly hope, don't worry too much. And posibly you won't have to put her down. Sell her as companion or a broodmare.

Tibbalicious · Answer

no experience with this issue, I just wanted to say good luck and thank you for being responsible- whether it means more vet care or a peaceful and dignified resolution. Good luck!

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What would you do if this were your horse?

6 Answers