Re: absess

["Michelle Fink" <michrowe@redwrench.com>]

> tape, and leave it till they walk through it (usually one day) The best
> way I've found to wrap it is tear off a bunch of short pieces and
> crisscross them all over the bottom of the foot, then make a few round on
> the side and put a few extra rounds around the rim.

You can also take four strips of duct tape, about 5" long each, then stick
them next to each other on the ground to form a square (sticky side up, of
course), then when the horse's hoof is up, you just slap the whole square on
the hoof, take the roll of DT and do two wraps around the side, and you are
done quick (and my horse endures less of my bumbling with the tape). :-)

If you wanna keep the bottom of the hoof clean and dry, you can press some
guaze squares against it, and then pull a rubber glove over the hoof before
putting the DT on.  Takes some practice to not rip the glove as it goes
on...  Works good to keep muck from soaking through.

Diapers can also be put over the hoof prior to the DT square if you want a
more breathable environment, but it takes more
tape to complete the wrap.  Diapers work great for padding if the hoof is
sore.

Last, we had good luck with Davis boots to keep the hoof clean.  My mare had
an abscess right in the yucky part of winter (snow and ice at night, boot
sucking mud during the day), and we managed to keep that thing clean and dry
with the Davis boot without have to pen her up.  Much easier to work on a
calm horse than one going bonkers from confinement!  The Ezboot didn't come
up high enough to keep mud and muck out.

m