Horse has a possibly bruised sole?

Question

my 30 plus year old gelding got a bruised sole/ is lame on a hind leg, and my instructor said just to put him on bute an soak his foot in espom salt.. any other ( better) suggestions? he has been lame before..

Answer 1

That's pretty darn spot on! (Seriously!) I would stick to that. In the Pony Club Manuel thats is exactly what it says.

Answer 2

I do believe,I would get the advice of a veterinarian on that one. I also have horses of my own but your gelding is getting up in age. So ,I do believe I'd get in contact with a vet.  

Answer 3

Well the epsom salt is a good one, bute, nad try an ice bucket before the other two. Other than that, thats all I know. Good question though!

Answer 4

Instead of a just duct tape trying using vet wrap and duct tape over that. Consult your farrier about this and see what he says about putting flip flops on if this is a reoccur event

Answer 5

My 7 year old had a bruised sole and this is what my farrier told me to do and it worked really well.  It takes about 2+ weeks, depending on how bad it is.  But you go the tack store and buy ictyhmol(sp)  and I would also buy some rubber gloves as it is gross.

You will also need a hoof pick, diaper, sissors, and ducktape.

First, clean out the hoof

Then, cut the diaper to shape the hoof.

Put some icthmol all over the bottom of the hoof.

Put the diaper over it

Take the ducktpe and tape it all over very secure.

Stall rest with some hand grazing.

EDIT_Sorry, just read your add.  You could buy an easy med. boot.  put the icthmol on the put that on.

Answer 6

IF it is a bruised sole - IF - I would soak it in the epsom salts twice daily, but I would pack the foot with furazone.  I use furazone because it will soften the sole a little so that the bruise/abscess stays soft and possibly comes through the bottom of the sole.  For a 30 year old horse I would certainly keep the bute to a minimum.

I don't use a diaper - I use a combine dressing (its like a feminine pad), 1/2 a sheet of sheet cotton rolled around the foot for cushion, and vet wrap.  I do use duct tape, but I layer on the wall first in a square, then peal it off the wall and stick it on the hoof.  If you have an easy boot big enough to fit over the wrap that works too.

I would talk to the vet if you can, or the farrier.  At 30 years, there are a couple things that it could be rather than just a bruised sole.  I would talk to the vet - even if he is a dumbass, I bet he has a set of hoof testers and an x-ray machine.

Answer 7

Soak the sole in iodine, this will toughen up the sole. You don't have to soak the sole like you do with the espom salt. When you lift the foot up, pour just enough on the sole to cover it completely. It works great and will help with preventing further bruising of the other feet. Luck

Edit- Gallop has a good point. I would get a second opinion, but instead of a vet, go to a race track farrier. Why? Because a tack farrier will see more feet problems in 1 week than most vets ever see in 4 years. In fact my vet will refer to our farrier on foot issues.

The tar in epsom salts. That's a tough one. The tar keeps the salts on the hoof, it act as a binding agent. Normally I have seen this used with ace on bruises on the shins(my vet explained that to me, but I have never heard of it used with salts). But I would check out and get another opinion, but I would go to a track farrier.

Answer 8

I would never put a 30 year old horse on bute arbitrarily, and would argue it with my vet if it was even suggested.

Please research the current information on bute and learn why you should not be giving it without veterinary monitoring at the very least.

I have no idea what tar rolled in epsom salt is supposed to do for a bruised hoof?  What doesn't he handle about the diaper and duct tape?

Who actually diagnosed that this is a bruised sole?  When he was lame before, was that coincidentally another bruised sole?

If your vet is not the best, get another vet.  A 30 year old horse deserves better than what this one is getting.

EDIT....good point, Kevin.