Questions, Questions!

First though, a quick Johnny Reb update! He is HOME now, and settling in. The first night was tough, and he did some sleep walking, but he is gaining ground every day. I gave him a hug the other night, and said how great it was to have him home, and he said "You ought to see it from this end, girl." Amen to that!

Now, onto some of those questions!

CDNCowgirl has a good one: Are some horses more prone to abscessing than others?

CDN, this is a great question. The answer however, has a lot of variables. First, we need to take a look at the overall health of the horse in question, find out if it is shod or barefoot, and if there are any underlying pathologies that may be causing health problems within the hoof capsule.

I'll try to break things down here, and offer up some hypothetical situations that might answer your question.

First, we'll look at a moderately healthy, horse, in acceptable weight and condition, who is shod. The obvious answer to this is that a poor shoe job allowed for excess infective material penetration, OR there was a "hot nail" (a nail driven into living tissue, generally inside the white line), which causes pain, inflammation, and discomfort on it's own, AND introduces pathogens into sensitive tissue. Chronic abscessing from those issues could very well be the end result.

Next, let's look at an unshod horse (notice I did not say BAREFOOT here... hold tight and you'll see why!) This horse is again, moderately healthy, acceptable weight, and gets routine traditional pasture trims. But he also has problems with recurring abscesses. In THIS instance, the chances are the sole has been improperly trimmed (if at all,) which allows for sole growth to trap material against the sole, causing health issues with in the hoof, resulting in an abscess.

Third, we'll take a look at a horse who has been trimmed in a barefoot style. The first thing you want to look at is: Where Did The Trimmer Study/ What "Style" of Trim Has Been Applied? There is a school of thought with one barefoot sect that abscessing is a normal happening during the transition from un-healthy hooves to their definition of a healthy hoof. They EXPECT the horse to abscess, and abscess often, for an extended period of time.

Most barefoot trimmers however, have issue with this. TIME is our friend, and in TIME we can make the transition easier and smoother for the horse. Abscessing is not a common happening.

Now, if this horse is not trimmed in an overly aggressive and invasive style, and still develops chronic abscesses, you have to look deeper into the health of the horse, his feeding, turnout, and work regimen, and consider a set of comprehensive radiographs. This horse may well be dealing with an internal pathology in the hoof, OR systemically. There are certain health conditions that will express themselves through the feet, with an abscess being the result. (Cushings and Insulin Resistant horses come to mind...)

Yes, yes, I hear you- why the distinction between a traditionally trimmed, shoeless horse, over a Barefoot horse? Neither one wears a shoe, correct?

Right- neither wears a shoe BUT! That is where the similarities end. A traditionally trimmed horse (think Pasture Trim,) bears weight on the wall. Period. There is no involvement of the sole at all. (Hey! You in the back! Quit hyperventilating over the thought that the sole of the horse is meant to be somewhat weight bearing!) A horse who has been trimmed for the correct physiology of each hoof, to reach optimum growth and performance of each hoof, does NOT have the wall doing all of the weight bearing. The hoof is trimmed so that the wall AND the sole work together to bear weight, distribute energy created upon movement, and provide maximum healthy growth and performance.

Dr. Robert Bowker is one of the leading researchers into the hoof. If you Google his name, you will find a whole slew of information to study. Starting here though, is a good spot. Another name to read (if you love techno-speak, which I do NOT,) is Dr. Christopher Pollit.

Wow- that said a mouthful, for what seemed to be a "simple" question eh?

Now for Jackie, who asked what the difference is between an abscess coming through the sole or the hairline, or if it is just where an abscess is typically cut out?

GENERALLY speaking, Jackie, an abscess will take the path of least resistance. A small pocket may work it's way up the tubules of the laminae, and erupt at the hairline. This is commonly referred to as a "gravel". Why does it decide to go against gravity, and go UP? That's the $69,000 question, and as soon as I can find an answer that feels RIGHT, I'll let y'all know.

Cutting out an abscess.... man my stomach rolls at that thought. There are people out there who are all too happy to go digging around in the hoof, creating craters for an abscess to open up and drain. I think it is way, way, WAY overdone, and that the horse- with proper care from the owner or handler, will be able to expel the abscess in good time, by himself, with minimal damage. Is there ever a time to cut an abscess out? Yes- but they are very far and few between. The risk of causing incredible damage and adding pain to the horse is not one I am willing to bear.

Jackie also asked about red/ pink spots in the white line, found during trimming. First, old bruises need to grow out, and this may very well be what you saw with Ace during his last trim. Also, you have changed his diet, his hoof care routine, and his work routine within the past six months. I don't think these spots are anything to worry about, and would bet that they will rasp out and be completely gone with no problems at all. Any of the changes that you have made (for the better!) to Ace's lifestyle since he declared his ownership of you can cause these spots to appear.

Right then- bring on the next round of questions!

Happy Hoofin' Y'all!
~MM