A friend’s horse has injured her foot wall very badly, like sheared off a huge chunk. He called our local large animal vet and got some first aid and is looking for an equine vet. But the closest equine hospital is some 50+ miles away and it’s a holiday weekend. Currently he’s got her stalled and is wrapping the hoof. He’s also giving antibiotics, pain meds and has given a tetanus booster. Any tips until he can get her to the vet? I ran across a product that basically was an epoxy that formed and artificial hoof. I think it was called Formahoof? Anyone have any experience with that?
Not sure if the brand but a similar concept product. Farrier had used it on another client’s horse. Farrier said it did the job he needed it to do.
What are you seeing? Is there red soft tissue visible? Or is it just the outer wall down to the water line with the inner layer intact?
If you are seeing red soft tissue this is a life threatening issue and you want competent vet care now.
If you are seeing inner dry wall, it’s not such a big deal. Farriers resect for white line disease with no permanent harm.
Dont start messing with epixies as a nonpro.
Photos?
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Sounds like a bad injury, keep looking for a vet, somewhere.
Decades ago, my number one best cow horse stuck her right front foot in a mesquite V and tore a whole bulb out trying to get loose.
We found her still stuck there, took her foot out of it and you could see it was torn so deep, the tendons and ligaments were torn and looked like thin spaghetti flopping in there.
There was not hardly any blood, so vessels either shut down or cramped by the trauma itself.
Vet was called, he didn’t know if she would make it, washed the heck out of it, put a compression bandage trying to keep it all together and we kept bandaging and cleaning it up religiously, she was on medication and it slowly healed, but left a big scar ridge on top of that bulb and down the hoof.
Never again tried to ride her, but she seemed sound and as a broodmare for many years afterwards, it never did bother her.
Some times you get lucky, but without a vet working on those injuries right off, they are life threatening, too much can go wrong that cripples or kills the horse, like a joint/bone infection.
I would keep calling around for a vet.
Hope it turns out ok.
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Don’t put any sort of epoxy or similar on it. Post a pic if you can. If there is absolutely no way you can get a vet, I’d call a really good farrier. They may be able to stabilize it with a shoe.
Keratoma removals often require a large resection. Those are usually packed with sterile gauze, stabilized with a shoe, and wrapped with vet wrap.
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Tried to load a pic but apparently it didn’t work. It looks pretty nasty to me. I gave him the name of the two closest equine vets.
I was just asking about the epoxy as a possible treatment. As I understand it, they have to be used under the supervision of a vet or a farrier who knows about corrective shoeing both of which are in short supply around here.
It loaded for me, it does look like it needs immediate vet attention, so as to do right for that kind of injury, not something to guess at what to do.
Our horse’s cut was more extensive, but from the top down into the hoof, didn’t involve the bottom of it directly as it shows there.
Maybe a vet can give a better idea how that will do, they see that kind of stuff regularly.
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Here’s the pic.
Looks pretty nasty to me too. My amateur opinion would be if you try filling that you’re going to trap bacteria in there and create an even bigger problem. Formahoof is for repairing the wall, I don’t think it’s suitable given you’ve got tissue exposed.
There are plenty of equine vets who tend to emergencies on weekends and this sort of case is one of them. This is why it’s important to have a good relationship with a horse vet, which I’m sure your friend now realises. I’d make some calls to find an emergency vet who’s working, pack the horse on a trailer and drive it the 50 miles for vet attention.
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Omg! That’s terrible! Poor pony.
Completely agree this needs emergency vet care pronto
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Many vets are usually available “on call” even on holiday weekends, though you will of course pay for it. I’d absolutely try the hospital. I agree with the others that this needs immediate veterinary attention, and epoxy won’t be suitable for this.
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This is not the kind of injury that can wait for tomorrow. Call a professional shipper and get the horse to the hospital if none of the equine vets will come to you. Most equine vets will have someone on call for these sorts of emergencies 24/7/364 - although some will require that you are an existing client.
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My friend has consulted the equine vet who told him to keep it dry and keep treating it like he’s been doing. Said there was nothing else that could be done and that it should grow out. Horse will be out of commission for at least a year. Vet and farrier will be out Tuesday to rewrap it.
Perhaps suggest to your friend to contact some local farmers who are legal shooters. Keep their number handy and if/when the wound starts to turn bad, call the farmers over to have the horse put to sleep so that it doesn’t suffer needlessly.
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If this was my horse, he’d already be at the equine hospital. I’ve treated a lot of injuries, but I would be knocking at my vet’s door, lead rope in hand, if I had this happen to one of mine. Infection is almost certain, and as for it growing out - difficult to say.
Your friend should also know that there’s a high risk of founder in the opposite hoof, as the horse will naturally bear more weight on it to compensate for the pain in the injured hoof.
@Sandysmom - is this photo taken from the back or the side of the hoof? It’s hard for me to tell. Is the frog even intact? If it’s from the back, and the frog is okay, then there might be a chance with proper care. If this is the side view, though, I don’t see any hope. Hate to be blunt, but the more I think about this photo, the more I wonder if that vet really understands the situation, or if they just don’t care.
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Yikes - but what about pain control and infection?
Yes, sure I’d also keep it dry but that poor horse! I would definitely be finding someone to get my animal to the clinic, if only to give him real pain relief and antibiotics that might save his live, not his career.
Or - conversely - I’d have him euthanized now, not after a week of misery!
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Is your friend being cheap or ignorant? Do you had much sway with them? I am usually quite pleasant, but I would gladly endanger a friendship by getting as ticked off as it took to get the friend to listen. Oh, I hate that you’re in a situation like this. This could go very wrong very fast and that horse is in danger of a great many complications. If you’d rather use other people’s words, I will gladly lend you some of mine…
(To your friend): Get your cheap, scum-sucking, low-life, butt up off the couch, hitch up your trailer, and load that pitiful creature for a 50 mile ride. In less than an hour, you can get that poor, suffering, animal properly cared for. Yes, you’ll have to cancel your stupid booze party to ‘celebrate’ the deaths of those who died to save your unworthy, roach-faced, worm-licking, butt from harm. Now, load your d*mn horse before I stick my boot so far up your behind that you taste Ariats for a week.
(To you). This really sucks and you have my sympathy. There is nothing so frustrating as knowing the right thing to do and having someone not listen. If you got a chuckle out of this post, I’m glad. I do hope they listen and get help quickly. Good luck!
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Ok sorry - there are instructions for antibiotics and pain meds. I hope they are enough to keep the horse moderately comfortable. That injury was so horrible I didn’t see all the words.
I’m not sure it’s fair to suggest that the owner is going to throw a stupid booze party, and that’s why they can’t get the horse to the equine hospital. But…I would be making those arrangements.
I can’t imagine how this could have happened.
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As I said, he has consulted with the vet. The horse is on antibiotics and pain meds. He’s keeping the foot dry and wrapped. He does care about his horses and takes excellent care of them, just doesn’t have a lot of experience. The local vet and farrier will be out Tuesday. I’m sure he will go to the equine vet if local vet can’t handle it. I’m not sure there is any more that can be done. We aren’t exactly spoiled for choice for local vets and they are pretty much prima donnas. For the record, I doubt he’s having a beer party. I think he and his gf are at home monitoring the horse.
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I’m jingling for the horse and your friend.
If, big if, the local vet says this is out of his scope and your friend elects to haul horse out for care, it has been my experience that a vet school maybe an economical choice compared to a private practice even if it’s a longer drive. I don’t know if finances are a factor or not but wanted to pop that in there.
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