Hi. I'm new to the forum and sure would appreciate help.
My [boarded] Quarter Horse has developed recurring abscesses. I have our vet and farrier working together. Farrier has suggested Vitamin C and keep horse off gravel surfaces. Vet has suggested shoes and dry stall and a 10% bleach solution [when I smell an abscess].
I feed Nutrena Safe Choice--as QH may have allergy to corn. Their Vitality products contain C, but so far not sure re. corn.
My questions to the forum are:
* What are your opinions regarding the dry stall? Any articles I can take to the stable owner?
* Did I see that shoes are not a solution to abscesses?
* What soaking solution[s] do you recommend?
Thank YOU!

This is a Hoof abscess I assume. You can soak in an ACV / water solution. Or you can make a duct tape boot and put some kind of poltice on the sole. I've been known to use Betadine scrub and Epsom salts. Others like betadine scrub and sugar(sugardine).. Often an abscess will reoccur due to it not having fully drained before closing up. Shoes will do no good whatsoever. A dry/clean stall would be a good start or pasture board would be best if possible. Movement helps to pump/push out the abscess fluid.. So, stalling isn't going to help much. IF the stall in question is constantly "wet" or dirty, I would be pitching a fit, btw.

Abcesses of the sole can be caused by stone bruises. Shoes elevate the sole off of the ground thus helping to prevent bruises. Gravel working into the white line on poor hooves can also cause abcesses. If your horse was previously pastured on soft grass and now is turned out on a hard or stony pasture his soles are not toughened up yet. They can also get soft over the winter if he was turned out in snow and if the ground is now hard and dry.

Abcesses generally don't smell unless they are very virulent. Is there thrush involved that is eating into and softening around the frog? That would cause the smell. If so, apply a thrush remedy. Bleach works, so does nearly every other kind in stores. I like Absorbine thrush remedy. It's clear, doesn't smell and works.. The trick is to use it religiously and dig out the black smelly stuff first.


Where are the abcesses located?

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You can soak in an ACV / water solution.

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I second the apple cider vinigar! we add the epson salts to the ACV/water mix and it works great.

I agree with the vet!

I use a wood pellet bedding in my stalls on mats and then use the Stall Dry on the wet spots. The wood pellet product is dusty but I don't think any more dusty than wood chips once they are ground down. I really like the product since it makes it very easy to remove wet spots. It seems to keep the stall drier to me. It's like cleaning a cat box. You just pick out the wet spot since it clumps up.

I also like the storage of the product. It's in a bag so you just grab a bag and dump it in the stall. The horse does the rest. It's easy to store and easy to use. It is expensive however like they say "you get what you pay for"

I would worry that my horse would ingest the dry stall, I'm terrified of sand colic, a friend's gorgeous filly & gelding both died of it! As for the duct tape boot my horse always has it worn off/through in a day but if you catch it in time you can add more duct tape. When my girl had her first ever abcess recently the vet stuffed her crevices with some tarry goop, shoved cotton in there, wrapped it in super strong vet wrap & then duct taped it. That lasted 3 days but that was all it took & she was fine after that. I'd make sure her stall was cleaned daily with no nasty wet areas though.