Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

My mare abscessed a few weeks ago. I had never had a horse have one, but after 6 months of no rain, we got about 15 inches in two weeks. The mud in my arena was about 10 inches deep in spots and the girls were due for a trim. All the conditions were right. 
I pared out her sole until we saw the tract, and soaked. Day by day we did the same thing, packing with iodine and lots of duct tape. After about a week she had a small rupture out near her heel bulb. Just a little pus, and then immediate relief of all symptoms. 
I soaked her in Epsom salts for the first couple days, then Chamamile tea. She did manage to dump an entire bucket of tea over my head. Amazing how far a bucket can flip:) 
I basically had her out conditioning less than two weeks later. She is absolutely fine, but I was worried for a few days. They just look so dead lame and so uncomfortable. 
The paring and wrapping seemed to help most-taking a bit of pressure off the area. 
She is the unshod mare. I think her feet were a bit dry from the long hot summer, and the wet mud got debris into a crack. I hope to never go through it again, but as horsey problems go it wasn't expensive, and fairly straight forward.I will remember the lavender oil though. I'm lucky with this mare, she rarely needs a trim and can go over the sharpest rocks (all the trails here it seems) with no problem. Great traction on all the streets we have to use here in SoCal. I'll keep her bare as long as I can. This will be her first ride season-hopefully she'll be more mellow than her barn mate at a ride. She is my hopefully multiday horse, so if I can keep her bare that will be a real bonus. 
Tiffany 


On Dec 23, 2004, at 6:20 PM, LTYearwood@xxxxxxx wrote:

> <x-tad-bigger>I have written here extensively about my search to help my horse overcome and heal from his abcess. I have had a lot of different advice ranging from homeopathic hoof care specialists to conventional vetrinarians. My approach included both, as I allowed the vet to dig at the abcess and take x-rays while opting for homeopathic pain relievers, herbal pultices, ect.</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>?</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>It has been two weeks since Sunny developed the abcess and had it dug out and it has been hard on him.</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>?</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>I post now because I found what seems like an almost miraculous cure for the pain and I want others to know about it.</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>?</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>Lavender oil!</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>?</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>After trying so many concotions, and talking to so many folks, I tried it this afternoon. I diluted a really high quality brand with some water?and put it in Sunny's soaking boat. And voila -- Less than 15 minutes later, Sunny walked off with almost no trace of lameness.</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>?</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>Maybe this might help another horse out there who is in pain.</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>?</x-tad-bigger>