Horse hoof abscesses are a pain. Literally. And some horses are more prone to them than others.
I’ve also discovered that they can be more prone to abscesses in summer than in winter.
So how exactly do we treat them? After a little trial, error and advice, I resorted to using diapers with epsom salts.*
Why epsom salts? Because it helps to draw the abscess out of the hoof.
Here’s the deets: I used a #3 diaper, and put the epsom salts directly on it (a small handful of epsom salts) and poured some water over it to help it soak in. (It seems to work okay if there’s still granules in there.)
Then we clean the hoof with a hoof pick and brush, and place the hoof in the diaper, then wrap it around the top of the foot and secure it with the diaper tab.
My horse wears Soft Ride orthotic boots, so I put the diaper covered hoof inside the boot to help keep it on.
You could use some other boot, or possibly try duct tape around the diaper.
You’ll want to leave it on for a day, and then change it out with another one for a total of three days with the diaper on. (So you’ll be using three diapers for one hoof.)
My gelding had abscesses in both hooves, so I needed six diapers total, plus I had some issues getting the diapers on at first, so I used a couple more diapers as I experimented.
So, hoof abscess healing ingredients needed: #3 diapers (3+ diapers), water and preferably hoof boots. Leave the diaper on for 24 hours, and then change it out each day for three days total.
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*It’s important to seek veterinary advice when needed.
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