I’ve only ever pulled the shoe when my horse was in full pads and we weren’t sure where the abscess would blow.
Lesson learned after a literal month of trying to coax it out, my horse always blows his abscesses out of the coronary band 
(He’s had two monster ones in the exact same place on his left fore but they were multiple years apart so I’m confident they aren’t actually related, just a weird coincidence.)
This is her 4th(?) in 21 years, and they’ve always been behind.
I also can’t believe it’s this time of year. I’ve never had an abscess in dry weather (NorCal here) in my 30 years of horse keeping. My 3yo blew two on two different feet a month ago, and now this. Usually I get them when it’s wet and they’re out in the wet then in dry stalls. Wth?
Okay well, you will laugh but Sunday AM I entered my mare in her first event. I get to the barn around 11 AM and tell me how I am dealing with my mare’s FIRST abscess ever. She’s eight! It’s like she knew. 
OMG nooooo!!!
I am supposed to head out to patch up some holes for a temporary house for our new barn cats and also ride some horses so I need to go soak Dora’s foot but low and behold…
I can’t wake the sleeping beauty now can I?! I certainly don’t blame her for wanting to lay down. Guess I’ll…clean out the horse trailer?! 🤦🏻
My horses historically speaking have generally been shod with one type of pad or another, so pulling the shoe to soak was needed. I prefer Animalintex without the soaking, but even still, the shoe and pad need removed if my goal is to wrap to get it to come out on the solar side instead of the top band.
Heard back from my farrier. He said leave the shoe, soak the foot. ICYMI above, she wears composites with a plug so no packing with the shoe on. Going to try a soak for a couple of days. Usually hers come out on the coronet band. 
Guess I learned today that pulling the shoe isn’t always a thing!
Generally would pull the shoe if horse has full pads. Hard to soak with pads. Or if horse partially pulled shoe and stepped on a clip, if the clip would be under the shoe when put back on. Basically if the shoe or pad blocks where the abscess is then pull the shoe. If no, leave the shoe on
The idea is that if the abscess is trying to blow out right under where the shoe is located, it’s going to have trouble bursting, because the shoe will block it. While the odds of that are slim, the chance is still there.
Also, if you horse has a PAD with their shoe, that’s a totally different ball game and you must pull the pad/shoe. Unless you are lucky enough for the abscess to blow out the top, you’ll keep it trapped in.
Rather than soaking, I highly recommend the Animalintex Poultice pads. Much more effective than soaking, IMO. And protects the bottom of the hoof (if you did pull the shoe) as well as keeps everything clean and moist. The key when you want an abscess to blow is you want to keep the hoof soft if you can, in order to let it out. You don’t want it to harden over.
Oooh that’s such bad timing!
This. All good advice.
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