Pedigree Query

I have had a terrible time this year with horses developing abcesses (mind you this is only in the Thoroughbreds, I don't have any issues with my other breeds). I honestly have never had so many issues with a horse abcessing and it doesn't appear to be just me. Several other Thoroughbred owners in the area have had their horses abcess several times this year. Horses in all different disciplines, some have shoes, some have padded shoes, some barefoot. Has anyone else had issues with abcesses this year and if so are they worse than normal, normal, and what did you do to prevent other out breaks? I have not had a single horse abcess in the past several months (knock on wood) but when they did it seemed they all abcessed within a week of each other but they are all on an alternating farrier schedule, so as not to overwhelm my pocket book or my farrier, some are outside with a run in area and others are stall kept at night and turned out during the day. And even the ones that had just come in abcessed. At least now they have stopped, I think they were trying to get out of work, but still if there is something that can be done to prevent the outbreaks, i'm open to suggestions.

I do take some satisfaction in the fact that people who told me it was because I wasn't properly taking care of my horses (not sure what more can be done if you get them trimmed regularly and pick them out ) also had horses abcess. So any suggestions? Anyone else have the same issues? What did you do for prevention? Worse than normal this year?

I don't know..?

Mikki, I used to live at a place where we had a mare motel that was built on top of non-rock road base - crushed rock. We had abcesses all of the time there. I'm convinced that the little bits of gravel would work their way into the foot, or create bruises. Since I moved from there, I think I've had about 5% of the abcesses I used to get.

However, cracked feet are definitely susceptible to abcessing. So good and frequent trimmings can help.

We kept animal lintex in business this year,just when we thought we got to the bottom of it ,another would pop up.Nasty things.

If a lot of farms in the area are having problems, then it might be that some sort of weather conditions are favorable to a bacteria that likes to live in horse feet.

On just one farm, it could be surface. Do any of the farms with the problem share a farrier?

A couple do but for the most part no. I know I asked my farrier when he came by and he stated that most of the time it has to do with the weather conditions and that there really isn't much that can be done to stop them. I'm just wondering how many other people are having issues and what if anything they have found helps minimize them.

I share the frustration this year on abcesses. I've had mares that have never had an abcess in their life get them this summer, my farrier is out every three weeks and he's scratching his head. I've also been chasing dew poisoning since spring and I can't get the crap to go away and not pop back up on some mares. Wish I could tell you why, bacteria maybe from alot of rain. Can't give any advice, but if misery loves company, then I'm right with ya!

Would walking them through a bleach and water solution be an option?

One of my stallions has acesses in three hooves at this point, along with one on a heel bulb. Of 21 horses on the farm, he is the only one having issues. He's an OTTB. My other OTTB stallion doesn't have any issues with his hooves at present, although I am watching him very, very carefully. My mares are all warmbloood mares, and their feet are tough as nails, all of them. My farriers says that he's seen 3X the number of abcesses this season than previously, most likely due to the odd weather, but with my stallion he really thinks the mediocre "farrier" care he had at the track attributed to the current condition of his feet. We're going to take our time and get him right, though.

I am keeping him stalled right now, and on antibiotics, and he gets a major pedicure every day. Today I turned him out with his mares for about an hour and he was much more comfortable. (So comfortable, in fact, that he bred a mare withing 5 minutes of being turned out. ) I'm hoping he's on the mend.