 |
| Molly 22months Shire x Irish Drought |
Thank you for entering, sorry that it wasn't much of a competition for you. Your rosette will be in the post and with you this week!
Friday 13 March 2015
Class 4. Best Heavy Horse Heinz 57 - Mixed breed
Thank you for entering, sorry that it wasn't much of a competition for you. Your rosette will be in the post and with you this week!
Lets have a bit of fun - Heavy Horse Online Association show!
I've had so many emails since the tutorials on how to make your own flights were posted from people who don't really have much going on for heavy horses where they live or cannot get to shows so I have been thinking about that and also about how more people can enjoy heavy horses who perhaps do not fit into the breed associations relevant specifications or simply cannot travel because its just far too far or just impossible. Perhaps, like me, your horse is too big for any lorry, perhaps you are only one person and you have seven horses and if one leaves the yard they all have to go or they make a noise that can be heard from the next county or maybe it just costs too much but whatever the reason you can't get out there and show off your horse lets not let it stop us from having some fun or our horses from winning some very beautiful rosettes!
How does an online show work?
It doesn't matter where you are from, everyone can enter this show in some cases even if you don't have a heavy of your own. There are 14 classes, choose one or more that suits you and your horse then send me an email along with a picture to suit that class. You could reuse the same photo for each class you enter if you wanted to as each class is judged by a different judge so will have an equal chance of winning no matter what! There is a fee for each entry. This is £2.50. The reason for the fee is to cover postage and the cost of rosettes. I do not expect to make any profit from this show but should there be any profit it will go to a well respected equine charity and I will put that out to you all to be decided.
This is how it will work:
Email me with the class, your name, your horses name, breed, height and age along with a photo for that class. You will need to send me your PayPal email address at the same time so I can invoice you through PayPal for the number of classes you enter. This is a safe and secure method of payment used world wide and you will only be invoiced for the classes you enter. I will then post your entered picture on the page as soon as the invoice is paid. Your photo will not have your name with it but only that of your horse, their age and breed. All the judges are fair and completely unbiased and not having the owners name will help to make sure everyone is happy that it's the horses that are judged not the handlers. Everyone has as the same chance of winning although not everyone can be a winner but with rosettes to 10th place there's a great chance of receiving a rosette in the post. Once the closing date comes the classes will be judged by the judges and they will send an email to me with the results. I will then post it on the blog this time along with the owners names and the winning pictures. Rosettes will then be posted off to the PayPal registered address of the winner. All those who do not win a rosette will get a free entry into the next show.
There are classes for everyone. This time I've kept to a relatively small number of classes because its the first one but they are broad and even those without heavy horses can join in as well.
ALL PICTURES MUST BE YOUR OWN AND ALL HORSES MUST BE YOUR OWN OR OWNED BY YOUR FAMILY (except class 14) OR ENTERED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE OWNER. ANY ENTRIES FOUND TO BE BREACHING COPYRIGHT OR TAKEN FROM THE INTERNET WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
Here are the classes for the first Heavy Horse Online Association show!
1. Best Heavy Horse pure breed - Mare
2. Best Heavy Horse pure breed - Stallion
3. Best Heavy Horse Pure Bred - Gelding - classes 1 -3 open to all heavy horses that are of a pure breed e.g Shire, Clydesdale, Percheron, Belgian Draft, Suffolk Punch etc. Good pictures showing conformation.
4. Best Heavy Horse Heinz 57 - Mixed breed - Ideal class if you do know your horse is a cross breed or if you don't know what your horse is but they are definitely a heavy horse!
5. Best Heavy Working horse - A picture of your heavy horse working will be required for this class e,g ploughing, carting, carriage work, logging etc
6. Gone but not forgotten - The class for our dearly departed heavy horses can be black and white photos.
7. Best Heavy Horsenality - Best picture that shows your heavy horses personality, the funnier the better.
8. Best Decorated Heavy Horse - Make those flights and practice plaiting and send in a photo!
9. Best Heavy Horse - Dam with foal at foot.
10. Best Coloured Heavy Horse - Piebalds, Skewbalds, Roans and anything really splashy!
11. Best Action shot - Best heavy horse action shot.
12. Best Model Heavy Horse - Because sometimes the real life version eats too much.
13. Best Artists Impression - Mixed media - May be split into age ranges if we get a lot of entries.
14: Best Riding School Heavy Horse - If you ride a Heavy Horse at a riding school and wish to enter please get permission first from your riding school. Please send us the name of the riding school with your entry too its always good to know there's a hire-able heavy in a riding school nearby!
Entries welcome from anyone world wide, same fee for all, but a PayPal account will be required. This is a fun show and really is completely fair and unbiased. Please cheer each other on and have fun. Any questions please leave a comment or email. To enter please email ladyheidimaria@gmail.com
CLOSING DATE: MIDNIGHT APRIL 25th 2015
How does an online show work?
It doesn't matter where you are from, everyone can enter this show in some cases even if you don't have a heavy of your own. There are 14 classes, choose one or more that suits you and your horse then send me an email along with a picture to suit that class. You could reuse the same photo for each class you enter if you wanted to as each class is judged by a different judge so will have an equal chance of winning no matter what! There is a fee for each entry. This is £2.50. The reason for the fee is to cover postage and the cost of rosettes. I do not expect to make any profit from this show but should there be any profit it will go to a well respected equine charity and I will put that out to you all to be decided.
This is how it will work:
Email me with the class, your name, your horses name, breed, height and age along with a photo for that class. You will need to send me your PayPal email address at the same time so I can invoice you through PayPal for the number of classes you enter. This is a safe and secure method of payment used world wide and you will only be invoiced for the classes you enter. I will then post your entered picture on the page as soon as the invoice is paid. Your photo will not have your name with it but only that of your horse, their age and breed. All the judges are fair and completely unbiased and not having the owners name will help to make sure everyone is happy that it's the horses that are judged not the handlers. Everyone has as the same chance of winning although not everyone can be a winner but with rosettes to 10th place there's a great chance of receiving a rosette in the post. Once the closing date comes the classes will be judged by the judges and they will send an email to me with the results. I will then post it on the blog this time along with the owners names and the winning pictures. Rosettes will then be posted off to the PayPal registered address of the winner. All those who do not win a rosette will get a free entry into the next show.
There are classes for everyone. This time I've kept to a relatively small number of classes because its the first one but they are broad and even those without heavy horses can join in as well.
ALL PICTURES MUST BE YOUR OWN AND ALL HORSES MUST BE YOUR OWN OR OWNED BY YOUR FAMILY (except class 14) OR ENTERED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE OWNER. ANY ENTRIES FOUND TO BE BREACHING COPYRIGHT OR TAKEN FROM THE INTERNET WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
Here are the classes for the first Heavy Horse Online Association show!
1. Best Heavy Horse pure breed - Mare
2. Best Heavy Horse pure breed - Stallion
3. Best Heavy Horse Pure Bred - Gelding - classes 1 -3 open to all heavy horses that are of a pure breed e.g Shire, Clydesdale, Percheron, Belgian Draft, Suffolk Punch etc. Good pictures showing conformation.
4. Best Heavy Horse Heinz 57 - Mixed breed - Ideal class if you do know your horse is a cross breed or if you don't know what your horse is but they are definitely a heavy horse!
5. Best Heavy Working horse - A picture of your heavy horse working will be required for this class e,g ploughing, carting, carriage work, logging etc
6. Gone but not forgotten - The class for our dearly departed heavy horses can be black and white photos.
7. Best Heavy Horsenality - Best picture that shows your heavy horses personality, the funnier the better.
8. Best Decorated Heavy Horse - Make those flights and practice plaiting and send in a photo!
9. Best Heavy Horse - Dam with foal at foot.
10. Best Coloured Heavy Horse - Piebalds, Skewbalds, Roans and anything really splashy!
11. Best Action shot - Best heavy horse action shot.
12. Best Model Heavy Horse - Because sometimes the real life version eats too much.
13. Best Artists Impression - Mixed media - May be split into age ranges if we get a lot of entries.
14: Best Riding School Heavy Horse - If you ride a Heavy Horse at a riding school and wish to enter please get permission first from your riding school. Please send us the name of the riding school with your entry too its always good to know there's a hire-able heavy in a riding school nearby!
Entries welcome from anyone world wide, same fee for all, but a PayPal account will be required. This is a fun show and really is completely fair and unbiased. Please cheer each other on and have fun. Any questions please leave a comment or email. To enter please email ladyheidimaria@gmail.com
CLOSING DATE: MIDNIGHT APRIL 25th 2015
Thursday 5 March 2015
Abscesses and poulticing the heavy horse.
I have always found that some horses have more abscesses than others. I had one horse who no matter what I did just seemed to be a bit more prone to them than any of the others, by saying prone what I mean is Samson had about 4 abscesses over 10 years where as most have had 1 max if any so he did seem to get them a lot more than the others. The first time I had an abscess it was difficult, all the books seem to think you know how to poultice and how to bandage, there's talk of poultice boots to be purchased which no heavy could ever possibly fit into with the size of their clod hoppers and vets just seem to think you know what to do. To add to this heavy horses seem slightly different to the instructions to me, they have bigger hooves, bigger abscesses and sometimes they just stay lame for longer so the rules are slightly different for heavies on this one and its never really mentioned so you tend to worry a bit more that things are not going as the book says it should. So maybe this will help other heavy owners.
YOU SHOULD ALWAYS ASK A VET OR FARRIER (OR BOTH) TO ATTEND YOUR HORSE WHEN DEALING WITH LAMENESS OR ABSCESSES. THEIR HELP IS ESSENTIAL WHEN BRINGING YOUR HORSE BACK TO FULL HEALTH.
Signs that your horse has an abscess.
What is an abscess?
An abscess is an infection in the hoof. It is caused by bacteria entering the hoof through the sole which then the body tried to fight with white blood cells creating pus. The hoof capsule cannot expand and the pus puts pressure on the sensitive tissues until the abscess bursts and the pressure is released. Usually the abscess bursts through the sole, which in my mind is the better outcome, but sometimes they burst through the coronary band.
Where is the abscess in the hoof?
To tell this you must look at the walk in the lame leg first, sometimes you can see that they are choosing to take the weight off of the back or front of the hoof, sometimes they are easier up hill which would show its towards the back of the hoof.
Touch is important, feel for heat in the sole and around the hoof wall, this will narrow down the search area.
Hoof testers will pin point the area if your horse reacts to them and flinches to the pain when pressure is applied to the area. Sometimes a similar test is used by knocking gently with the back of the hoof pick on the outside of the hoof wall to see for a reaction. Sometimes they react largely it is a good idea to know your horse well and wear a hat to protect yourself or get a professional ( vet or a farrier) to do this for you if you are unsure.
Your farrier / trimmer should come out and take a look at the foot. I personally always call my farrier first for hoof issues, they have trained in this and they are specialised to hooves, they also know my horses hooves really well because they are regularly trimmed so they know if there is something different or a problem showing. Sometimes if it is near the surface it can be burst and relieve the pressure ready for the application of a poultice to remove any left over pus. Sometimes the abscess is deeper and after initial inspection nothing will be found and your farrier / trimmer may need to return again after poulticing if it is not bursting by itself.
Poulticing.
The rules of poulticing for normal sized horses are to use a hot poultice for up to 3 days by which point the abscess would have burst and then you go on to dry poultices before spraying and plugging daily till healed. Sounds simple but in reality heavy horses have big, hard feet and it takes a while for an abscess to find an outing to burst sometimes. This is an example from my latest abscess with Fred from April (last month), I keep a diary in case I need to tell my Vet or Farrier what I have done during an abscess.
Wednesday - noticed Fred was lame I checked his legs and found no reason for lameness and he had come in from the field the day before fine, running and happy. No sweating. I asked the farrier who happened to be on the yard to check his front hoof. An area of infection was found. The foot was trimmed and the area of infection dug out but no abscess found and he was still lame. I hot poulticed twice once after the farrier left and again at night.
Thursday - Still lame, no sweating - the poultices came off relatively clear no large amounts of pus or infection seen. I poulticed twice once in the morning where he was then turned out into a small area to graze on his own. I poulticed again that night. Morning poultice clear, Fred still lame. Asked the farrier to return the next day.
Friday - Fred still lame, no sweating. Farrier came and looked for infection and followed a track. A small amount of pus but nothing definite and no abscess found. The farrier could not look any further but the area was now clearer to poultice. Hot poultice in the morning and at night.
Saturday - Morning poultice shows sign of pus. Fred still lame but slightly happier in himself. No sweating. Hot poulticed twice again once morning once night.
Sunday - Hot poultice twice again once morning, once night. Still showing pus. Fred still lame.
Monday - Hot poultice twice again once morning once night, showing more pus. Fred beginning to improve.
Tuesday, Fred still lame but the poultice has less pus. Decide to do a hot poultice in the morning and a dry at night to look at the poultice.
Wednesday - Dry poultice comes out looking almost clear. Dry poultice again for the rest of the day to keep the area clean and again at night. Fred looking less lame but still slightly lame.
Thursday - Dry poultice once in the morning and left off at night but sprayed with foot master purple spray to keep the area clean.
Friday - found a rock wedged in the hoof where the abscess was - removed and luckily seems to have caused no damage. Cleaned and sprayed with purple spray once in the morning and once at night. Looking less lame again, still slightly there.
Saturday - cleaning and spraying twice daily. ( would wedge with cotton wool with spray but the holes too wide for wedging.
Sunday - Cleaning and spraying twice daily
Monday - cleaning and spraying twice daily - no signs of lameness.
Tuesday onwards - continue to clean and spray till the hole refills.
In this example of Fred he was lame for a week and a half and I hot poulticed for far longer than 3 days. This isn't suitable for all horses and you must take into account the health of your horses hooves, Fred has incredibly strong hooves so they did not soften at all over these days. I worried at times that it was taking a long time for him to recover from the lameness but I have had horses lame for around 2 weeks before with an abscess but if you are worried you should call a vet. Sometimes the poultice didn't stay on overnight, sometimes your horse will purposely pull them off with his teeth, its very difficult to get them to stay on for the required time and when they get them off they then step in muck and you worry about infection but as long as it stays on a while it has done its job. Poultices should be changed at least twice a day if its on for longer than 12 hours it could cause infection rather than clear one. This example above was around 3 weeks ago now, I am still cleaning and spraying daily and will do till the sole has healed and filled in the left over hole.
I personally do not like to Bute or give painkillers to my horses when they have an abscess because I feel the pain stops them from doing anything stupid which could lead to more harm being done and further bruising. I also do not give my horses antibiotics with them if they are straight forward abscesses and my horse has no underlying issues because antibiotics can make an abscess heal over and then they come back a few days / weeks later, to me it is better to let them drain first, this being said sometimes once drained or being drained your horse may need antibiotics if it is in an odd place, has developed an infection or if the abscess has gone up into the foot or your horse has developed a pedal bone infection. This is how I feel personally, your horse is your horse, always do what you feel is best and always ask a vet or farrier for advice if you are concerned and be prepared to change to the circumstances every day when your horse is lame.
Applying a poultice.
For this you need:
A poultice, a shop brought one either hoof shaped or the sheet type.
Hot water, very hot but you can put your hand it in and it come out steaming. You dont want to burn your hands or horse but its pointless if its luke warm.
A self adhesive crepe bandage (any colour you want, all look fabulous but you wont see much of it unfortunately.
Duct tape. (good duct tape, it sticks better!)
Patience of a saint and the strength of Thor.
If you are using the sheet type of poultice I cut this into 3 along the fold lines from it being packaged. You don't need the whole sheet at once. If you are using the hoof shaped ones I sometimes cut these in half but most of the time they are tiny, I'm not actually sure what kind of horse has a hoof that small but they are good for sticking down the side of the frog and generally whole cover an abcess area well.
Put the poultice into the hot water.
Pick out the foot well and scrub with clean hot water (dont contaminate the water the poultice is in) and a hoof brush so the foot is clean.
Gently press excess water from the poultice whilst still holding up the hoof. Do this quickly so the poultice is still hot. Press into the area of the abscess if you know where the abscess is or cover the whole hoof area until you do know (this is when a sheet poultice is better).
Use the crepe bandage to go around and under the hoof, keeping the poultice in place. Make sure the bottom and up the hoof wall are covered, you will need the whole crepe bandage.
Still keeping the foot up, cover the bottom of the hoof with strips of duct tape, rip it as you go leaving good tails going up the hoof wall either side, make sure you cant see any bandage on the bottom.
You can now put the hoof down. Go around the outside of the hoof wall with the duct tape covering all the tails. Make sure you go high but not above the hair line (and hopefully without catching any hair in the bandage or duct tape) and not too tight but sticking well. Make sure the back is covered around the bulbs or it will slip off like a slipper.
Lift up the hoof again do three strips covering the toe from bulb to toe. This is reinforcement. Then two pieces in a cross. This stops the strips separating. Then put the hoof down and go round the tails from these extra strips and there you are done.
Your hope is that you can keep it on till you replace it, but the likelihood is that it wont and sometimes that's a good thing because they take a lot of effort to pull of. Your main hope is for the poultice to stay on till it gets cold. Then it would have done its job and drawn out anything it can. You'll have to do this at least twice a day for a few days. Don't worry if it does pull off or wear through, no matter how clean your stable is they will guaranteed step in muck once it comes off and worry you that they will get an infection. Just replace it at least twice a day and do not keep it on for longer than said on the packet. Remember if your not sure whether to finish try a dry poultice and see what you get. Always ask for veterinary or farrier attention if you are worried but it will get sorted!
Further reading and advice on abscesses:
http://www.horsetrust.org.uk/grants/advice-centre/f/foot-abscesses/
http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-health/horse-hoof-abscess-17265.aspx
YOU SHOULD ALWAYS ASK A VET OR FARRIER (OR BOTH) TO ATTEND YOUR HORSE WHEN DEALING WITH LAMENESS OR ABSCESSES. THEIR HELP IS ESSENTIAL WHEN BRINGING YOUR HORSE BACK TO FULL HEALTH.
Signs that your horse has an abscess.
- Intermittent lameness - looking OK and then not looking OK another day.
- Sweating - with lameness, usually, but they don't always sweat.
- Sensitivity to hoof testers - not always does this one work because heavies don't always like to cause a fuss, Samson for example liked to pretend he was fine when hoof testers were used on him.
- Laying down, pained eyes with a bottom lip hanging.
What is an abscess?
An abscess is an infection in the hoof. It is caused by bacteria entering the hoof through the sole which then the body tried to fight with white blood cells creating pus. The hoof capsule cannot expand and the pus puts pressure on the sensitive tissues until the abscess bursts and the pressure is released. Usually the abscess bursts through the sole, which in my mind is the better outcome, but sometimes they burst through the coronary band.
Where is the abscess in the hoof?
To tell this you must look at the walk in the lame leg first, sometimes you can see that they are choosing to take the weight off of the back or front of the hoof, sometimes they are easier up hill which would show its towards the back of the hoof.
Touch is important, feel for heat in the sole and around the hoof wall, this will narrow down the search area.
Hoof testers will pin point the area if your horse reacts to them and flinches to the pain when pressure is applied to the area. Sometimes a similar test is used by knocking gently with the back of the hoof pick on the outside of the hoof wall to see for a reaction. Sometimes they react largely it is a good idea to know your horse well and wear a hat to protect yourself or get a professional ( vet or a farrier) to do this for you if you are unsure.
Your farrier / trimmer should come out and take a look at the foot. I personally always call my farrier first for hoof issues, they have trained in this and they are specialised to hooves, they also know my horses hooves really well because they are regularly trimmed so they know if there is something different or a problem showing. Sometimes if it is near the surface it can be burst and relieve the pressure ready for the application of a poultice to remove any left over pus. Sometimes the abscess is deeper and after initial inspection nothing will be found and your farrier / trimmer may need to return again after poulticing if it is not bursting by itself.
Poulticing.
The rules of poulticing for normal sized horses are to use a hot poultice for up to 3 days by which point the abscess would have burst and then you go on to dry poultices before spraying and plugging daily till healed. Sounds simple but in reality heavy horses have big, hard feet and it takes a while for an abscess to find an outing to burst sometimes. This is an example from my latest abscess with Fred from April (last month), I keep a diary in case I need to tell my Vet or Farrier what I have done during an abscess.
Wednesday - noticed Fred was lame I checked his legs and found no reason for lameness and he had come in from the field the day before fine, running and happy. No sweating. I asked the farrier who happened to be on the yard to check his front hoof. An area of infection was found. The foot was trimmed and the area of infection dug out but no abscess found and he was still lame. I hot poulticed twice once after the farrier left and again at night.
Thursday - Still lame, no sweating - the poultices came off relatively clear no large amounts of pus or infection seen. I poulticed twice once in the morning where he was then turned out into a small area to graze on his own. I poulticed again that night. Morning poultice clear, Fred still lame. Asked the farrier to return the next day.
Friday - Fred still lame, no sweating. Farrier came and looked for infection and followed a track. A small amount of pus but nothing definite and no abscess found. The farrier could not look any further but the area was now clearer to poultice. Hot poultice in the morning and at night.
Saturday - Morning poultice shows sign of pus. Fred still lame but slightly happier in himself. No sweating. Hot poulticed twice again once morning once night.
Sunday - Hot poultice twice again once morning, once night. Still showing pus. Fred still lame.
Monday - Hot poultice twice again once morning once night, showing more pus. Fred beginning to improve.
Tuesday, Fred still lame but the poultice has less pus. Decide to do a hot poultice in the morning and a dry at night to look at the poultice.
Wednesday - Dry poultice comes out looking almost clear. Dry poultice again for the rest of the day to keep the area clean and again at night. Fred looking less lame but still slightly lame.
Thursday - Dry poultice once in the morning and left off at night but sprayed with foot master purple spray to keep the area clean.
Friday - found a rock wedged in the hoof where the abscess was - removed and luckily seems to have caused no damage. Cleaned and sprayed with purple spray once in the morning and once at night. Looking less lame again, still slightly there.
Saturday - cleaning and spraying twice daily. ( would wedge with cotton wool with spray but the holes too wide for wedging.
Sunday - Cleaning and spraying twice daily
Monday - cleaning and spraying twice daily - no signs of lameness.
Tuesday onwards - continue to clean and spray till the hole refills.
In this example of Fred he was lame for a week and a half and I hot poulticed for far longer than 3 days. This isn't suitable for all horses and you must take into account the health of your horses hooves, Fred has incredibly strong hooves so they did not soften at all over these days. I worried at times that it was taking a long time for him to recover from the lameness but I have had horses lame for around 2 weeks before with an abscess but if you are worried you should call a vet. Sometimes the poultice didn't stay on overnight, sometimes your horse will purposely pull them off with his teeth, its very difficult to get them to stay on for the required time and when they get them off they then step in muck and you worry about infection but as long as it stays on a while it has done its job. Poultices should be changed at least twice a day if its on for longer than 12 hours it could cause infection rather than clear one. This example above was around 3 weeks ago now, I am still cleaning and spraying daily and will do till the sole has healed and filled in the left over hole.
I personally do not like to Bute or give painkillers to my horses when they have an abscess because I feel the pain stops them from doing anything stupid which could lead to more harm being done and further bruising. I also do not give my horses antibiotics with them if they are straight forward abscesses and my horse has no underlying issues because antibiotics can make an abscess heal over and then they come back a few days / weeks later, to me it is better to let them drain first, this being said sometimes once drained or being drained your horse may need antibiotics if it is in an odd place, has developed an infection or if the abscess has gone up into the foot or your horse has developed a pedal bone infection. This is how I feel personally, your horse is your horse, always do what you feel is best and always ask a vet or farrier for advice if you are concerned and be prepared to change to the circumstances every day when your horse is lame.
Applying a poultice.
For this you need:
A poultice, a shop brought one either hoof shaped or the sheet type.
Hot water, very hot but you can put your hand it in and it come out steaming. You dont want to burn your hands or horse but its pointless if its luke warm.
A self adhesive crepe bandage (any colour you want, all look fabulous but you wont see much of it unfortunately.
Duct tape. (good duct tape, it sticks better!)
Patience of a saint and the strength of Thor.
If you are using the sheet type of poultice I cut this into 3 along the fold lines from it being packaged. You don't need the whole sheet at once. If you are using the hoof shaped ones I sometimes cut these in half but most of the time they are tiny, I'm not actually sure what kind of horse has a hoof that small but they are good for sticking down the side of the frog and generally whole cover an abcess area well.
Put the poultice into the hot water.
Pick out the foot well and scrub with clean hot water (dont contaminate the water the poultice is in) and a hoof brush so the foot is clean.
Gently press excess water from the poultice whilst still holding up the hoof. Do this quickly so the poultice is still hot. Press into the area of the abscess if you know where the abscess is or cover the whole hoof area until you do know (this is when a sheet poultice is better).
Use the crepe bandage to go around and under the hoof, keeping the poultice in place. Make sure the bottom and up the hoof wall are covered, you will need the whole crepe bandage.
Still keeping the foot up, cover the bottom of the hoof with strips of duct tape, rip it as you go leaving good tails going up the hoof wall either side, make sure you cant see any bandage on the bottom.
You can now put the hoof down. Go around the outside of the hoof wall with the duct tape covering all the tails. Make sure you go high but not above the hair line (and hopefully without catching any hair in the bandage or duct tape) and not too tight but sticking well. Make sure the back is covered around the bulbs or it will slip off like a slipper.
Lift up the hoof again do three strips covering the toe from bulb to toe. This is reinforcement. Then two pieces in a cross. This stops the strips separating. Then put the hoof down and go round the tails from these extra strips and there you are done.
Your hope is that you can keep it on till you replace it, but the likelihood is that it wont and sometimes that's a good thing because they take a lot of effort to pull of. Your main hope is for the poultice to stay on till it gets cold. Then it would have done its job and drawn out anything it can. You'll have to do this at least twice a day for a few days. Don't worry if it does pull off or wear through, no matter how clean your stable is they will guaranteed step in muck once it comes off and worry you that they will get an infection. Just replace it at least twice a day and do not keep it on for longer than said on the packet. Remember if your not sure whether to finish try a dry poultice and see what you get. Always ask for veterinary or farrier attention if you are worried but it will get sorted!
- You may be worried it will be slippery with the duct tape boot. I did too at first but they are lame so not running around and in a clean stable also it will wear through as they move around and most of the time they will lay down. I've also had rubber matting whilst doing this and I have never had a problem but always assess according to your horse.
- It is almost guaranteed that an abscess will appear on a public holiday or a Sunday when the shops are closed. Always have a stock of poultices, crepe bandages and duct tape in your first aid kit. They last as long as you have them so always worth having ready and you will be so glad you were prepared.
 |
| The end result. |
http://www.horsetrust.org.uk/grants/advice-centre/f/foot-abscesses/
http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-health/horse-hoof-abscess-17265.aspx
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