Horse Abscesses

Abscesses are a nasty injury for a horse and are all too common. An abscess forms when there is a puncture to the outer wall of the hoof, usually around the white line on the hoof. This puncture can come from a rock hitting the hoof, the horse banging a hoof on the stall door or on a fence, nicking a jump with a hoof, or any number of other ways. Once there is a puncture in the hoof, standing in manure, dirt, and other materials allows bacteria to get inside the hoof and pockets of pus form throughout the hoof.

You will know if your horse has an abscess because abscesses cause a lot of pain and lameness for a horse. You also may notice the pus leaking from the hoof or a nasty odor when you’re picking out the horse’s hooves. The only way to treat an abscess is to break it open and drain the pus. Your blacksmith or vet should always be the one to open the abscess.

After the abscess is open, soak that affected hoof or hooves in Epsom salts twice a day to draw out the pus and clean the hoof. While the hoof is healing, keep it bandaged and make sure the horse doesn’t stand in any wet bedding, mud, or dirt that might infect the wound again. Your vet will also probably prescribe antibiotics and possibly a painkiller too.

The best way to prevent abscesses is to make sure that your horse’s stall is cleaned every day and that you don’t leave your horse standing in wet or dirty conditions.