Re: RC: advice needed

[Trishmare7@aol.com]

Hi Betty,
    Last spring my gelding got a cut very similar to what you describe.  It 
was a clean slice dead on his coronary band, and extending from just before 
the heel to just a bit behind the middle of the hoof.  It did not seem to 
give him any pain, even when pressed on.  I was worried about it, being right 
on the coronary band, but all I did for it was wash it with water and mild 
antiseptic soap daily.  Did not use any creams or lotions fearing that would 
attract dirt to the wound . . . though if it had started to scar or get stiff 
as it healed I might have.  I rode King David once after the wound had 
closed, just a short ride, walk/trot and a short slow canter, but when I got 
home I noticed the wound had opened again and dirt had gotten in it.   After 
that I didn't ride him at all until the wound was completely closed and 
almost invisible (I think about a month).    Wound healed very cleanly, and 
so far I've seen no difference in hoof growth or coronary health on that foot.
    Hope this helps.  good luck!

Trish & King David
Grand Blanc, Michigan (where spring is trying to spring today)

<< 
 I hope I can get some advice from anyone who may have experienced this 
problem because I have two contradicting vet opinions and am really in a 
quandary over this.  About twelve days ago my Arab mare got a horizontal cut, 
very clean slice, right above, actually almost on,  her coronary band on the 
outside of her right front foot and was dead lame for about three days.  The 
slice didn't bleed and was very hard to find.
 My husband was working graveyards and I work days, so we couldn't get her to 
the vet (50 miles away) until four days later and she was very improved but 
still off a little bit.  The vet looked at it and gave me some Ichthammol 20% 
ointment to put on it.  The ointment has done a good job of keeping the cut 
clean and soft.  He told me to go ahead and ride her, said it would be better 
to ride her than to just let her stand around.  He also felt she would be 
fine to compete her in a month maximum and that it would not cause a problem 
with the hoof.  I rode her last Saturday (the next day) for about two hours 
just walking and she was fine, just a little off step every once in a while.  
She has been improving this week but is still not 100%, not really lame 
anymore, just seems questionable the way she puts the foot down every so 
often.
 Meanwhile, our local mobile vet came out today to draw Coggins on three of 
our horses and he looked at it and his opinion was that he wouldn't ride her 
or compete her (I have a CTR in about five weeks that I was going to take her 
to) until it grows out because he feels like it is going to grow down and 
crack the hoof wall.  He also said to put her on a biotin supplement.  He 
said when it grows down into the hard part of the hoof, it can be sealed with 
beeswax or epoxy and probably would not give any trouble then until maybe 
when it grows nearer the bottom of the hoof.
 Now I don't know what to do.  Both these vets are good and both know that I 
compete my horse in about 15 CTR's a year. One was very positive with the 
prognosis and one was very negative, yikes!
 Have any of you experienced cuts of this nature right above the coronary 
band...did it cause any problem with growing down into the hoof.  And would 
you advise riding/competing or not?
 I am going to try to call the first vet tomorrow and tell him what the other 
one said and see what he has to say, but I would appreciate any feedback you 
guys can give me.
 Thanks...
 Betty in Colorado >>