Horrific huh? I know, abscesses can be destroying to a hoof but if taken care of correctly it won't last forever or longer than it needs too! Jolien suddenly became lame April 2018 and we couldn't find the issue, out of absolutely no where she was on three legs.
Poor Jolien! Notice how she looks down to it? She likes to tell me where things hurt (or itch aha she likes to be very obvious), it must have been absolutely throbbing at this point as this was just before the vet came out. My farrier couldn't locate it and I decided the vet needed to come asap for some pain relief as she was really struggling to walk and the swelling had gone up her leg slightly... When the vet got there it was suddenly dribbling black ooze from her coronet band, she had some antibiotics as she also turned out to have a bought of cellulitis along with it.
Then the hard work begins, the poulticing, the cleaning, the constant attempt of trying to keep the foot as dirt free, dry and clean as possible whilst the rest of it drains out. This face says it all huh?
So after a year of watching this god awful almost 1 inch hole make its way down her foot it has now come to the point of growing out, fascinating to really see at what speed the hoof of your horse grows at! I know now from coronet to toe its one year exactly! Anyway, back to the matter at hand! Now it is almost out it is now naturally causing some breaking in her foot, using this putty really helps to support the hoof from cracking out more and just protecting the inner part of the hoof which is now exposed! So until her next shoeing in April she won't be going without the putty in these feet! I usually like to keep this in for 5-7 days, depending on the weather. Dryer conditions it will be fine to leave for longer periods of time, however if wet and muddy I prefer to change it more often. It is water resistant so it won’t soften to a paste or melt off the placement.
Removal is also easy, I just take it out with a hoof pick, spray with some hoof & leg scrub to disinfect, let it dry off naturally then put in some new putty.
It is really simple to use, ready?
Step one: I prefer to roll the putty in my hands just to soften it up, then start to twist and press the putty so some heat and movement really causes it to soften.
Step Two: Press it into the affected area and let it set for a short period, I use this time to put some coconut balm on to give the foot some nourishment! Giving it a short time to settle will prevent it from sticking to the hoof pick and being pulled out as followed in in Step Three!
Step Three: Using the flat side of a thick hoof pick use this to press the putty deeper and shape more around the area, tucking in any gaps or loose places your hands can't get too. Also you can trim off any over hang to prevent it from causing any loose ends so to say!
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