During the past year my 27 year old Arabian has had 6 hoof abcesses. They seem to pop at the coronary band then show up as a hole in the hoof wall as they grow out. They are not always in the same location on the coronary band. He has been checked out a couple times by the vet and he seems in overall good health. He has had 3 somewhat traumatic incidents in the last year: a mild colic last winter, a fall on the ice last winter where he struggled to get up for some time before we found him and helped him get up, and more recently a choke episode.
He is on Nutrena Senior Life-Cycle (since the colic), hay, Med Vet Glucosamine MSM Plus, Med Vet Mega Mag vitamins, DC + Yucca (he’s a bit arthritic), and free choice High Meg Red Cal, and Bug Check.
The hoof itself appears healthy with a good whiteline and healthy frog. He does not appear lame on this foot/leg. Any thoughts about what might be causing these reoccurring abcesses? They only appear on the one hoof (Right Rear)?
-Linda
Obviously with abscesses the body is trying to “discharge” or get rid of something. So what we want to do is put less of “whatever” in and help the body get rid of “whatever” is there already… most abscesses, as do most problems, actually start in the gut. And …..especially likely in your case since you ave had a colic AND a choke episode. Choke in my opinion is often caused by botulism and/or clostridium type organisms that rapidly rise in number from rapid changes in the gut. (pH changes from excess potassium would be an example as would dewormers, drugs etc….see article on salt and mineral about potassium excesses from fertilizer and use of salt and mineral blocks-Magazine; page 21) These potentially deadly organisms are already in the gut but do NOT typically cause problems. Neurological changes can result which result in choke or worse. Processed fats from commercial feeds only add to the problem since nerves and brain even are mostly fat.
Check out the audio on What To Feed Your Horse (homepage of the website/and on this page) and the article on page 26 of our magazine on “what to feed your horse” . Commercial feeds are awful .. full of junk of all kinds especially these hydrogenated fats etc.
My suggestion is to gradually switch to the same volume of oats that you are currently using of commercial feed. To the oats add our Just Add Oats 2x and the Weight Check Oil supplements (gradually we are replacing our H2OIl with this higher quality source of omega fatty acids etc.). I would also consider our GUT CHECK since he has had such problems..
Do consider our Joint Check instead of the the other joint product. there is nothing like it anywhere and is really like two products in one. Everything that is in Health Check, (page 34) as a superb source of antioxidants and to help detox, is in it PLUS all the joint ingredients. Joint Check does not need MSM because of the higher quality sources of sulfur.
Topically on the hooves I would use the Hoof heck conditioner daily and the Grape Balm Hoof Healer should another abscess develop in the meantime.
