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Re: [RC] Hoof Injury - Susan BothernI'd then soak 1" x 4" gause strips in Hoofmate If your horse's injury is down into the coronary band you may not want to do this since this area is very sensitive and could prove painful. I have a mare with a severe quarter crack. She has been wearing disposable diapers & duct tape on her hoof (changed twice a day) for a over a month. There has been no sign of thrush. This was one of my worries, but my farrier said as long as the foot was dry when I wrapped her there shouldn't be a problem and remember just how absorbent those diapers are. How did your horse cut the heel, was it while playing or jumping around in the field? If so, and it's fresh, then it's a "grab." First thing to do: CLEAN out the wound with hot water and iodine soap of any kind, Betadine is fine. Rinse clean. You will want to dress the wound with any number of good healing creams -- such as furacin, betadine ointment, betadine ointment with sugar (sugardine), Novassan ointment, etc. an antibiotic type. Next, protect the wound with a large piece of gauze or cotton (often, I put the dressing on the cotton and then stick to bulb). All of this while she is standing still on a clean floor. You will want to wrap this with a protective, safe wrapping. Pick the foot up to do this. We use baby diapers, they work very well and have the sticky tapes that are great for positioning. However, you will need to wrap over the baby diaper with Coflex bandage or Vetrap bandage, leaving no ends out and making it secure above and below the cut. Dress it every day. After a few days, you'll want to start drying it up with Cut Heal medication or Furacin spray and then leave it open. Should take two weeks or so to heal sufficiently so that she can be handwalked, if you are careful and watch it everyday. But if it shows any bleeding at all, it will still need to be dressed and covered. She will have to be quiet and NOT turned out or allowed to run around and if she jumps around in the stall, protect with a bell boot. This kind of a horse may need a bell boot when turned out or ridden to be safe. Don't be too worried about permanent scar, etc. These things heal fine, even if there is an eruption at the coronet that causes a scar, the hoof is usually strong enough to repair itself. Keep a shoe on the foot and watch that she is balanced -- no long toes! So that she doesn't overstrike and do it again. Bell boots, bell boots, bell boots! A really bad quick will need bute and antibiotic treatment. Consult a vet first! --- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Cape Lookout Mail Server] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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