I’m having an impossible time keeping my mare’s fetlock sores at bay. She is stalled w/ a run over night and turned out on grass/mud/dirt for part of the day. When she rolls in her run and the in turnout she opens up her fetlocks. I’ve tried upside down bell boots, duct tape, hand made gauze and vetwrap or elasticon wraps and several types of commercial fetlock boots but even the friction between her skin and the boots opens up the sores. The only thing that I’ve had good luck with is standing wraps but I would obviously prefer for her not to live wrapped 24/7 365. Does anyone have any creative ideas?
1 Like
Have you tried something like gall salve to toughen up the skin?
Me too me too. My mare has her stall door open and sleeps outside. She has 15 acres of grass to choose a spot and when she lies down she creates a sore on her fetlock in the summer. It seems to do OK in the winter because I guess her leg hair is longer and protects the spot. But now she has scar tissue in the spot and it is easily opened back up. Wet grass in the summer helps to create these sores. I end up medicating, wrapping and putting a fly wrap with No Chew sprayed on it and it works OK but not that great.
I too need a better solution because she has started to open up one spot and when the flies get out she will be making a mess of it. It is primarily her left leg. She will NOT lie down in her stall no matter how deeply it is bedded.
I HATE summer!
Ugh. No solutions, just sympathy and hoping someone has good ideas. Mine just got fetlock sores this winter for the first time. Have been trying the boots, but one of the sores keeps opening back up. I’ve been trying to decide if gauze/vetwrap under the boot would help.
Did you try the equipro fetlock boots? They are the only ones that worked for my mare. I do need to get a new pair every 6 months but it is worth it!
I think the fetlock boots don’t stay in place well. Try some mud fever type boots because they are full length and go down to the coronet band. Premier makes some that are a perforated neoprene. Designed for turnout.
I’ve had good results with moisturizing the affected areas. I’ve used beeswax, lanolin, random conditioners and MTG (oddly effective).
My horse doesn’t have chronic sores though. They cropped up one season and haven’t returned. Now that I’ve sad that I’ll probably be battling hock sores all summer
I have not tried these:
https://www.hockshield.com/product/click-fetlock-shield/
but I have used the company’s hock shields with great success. Might be worth a shot.
This wasn’t even on my radar but looking around there are a couple types that look promising- thanks for the suggestion!
I’ve seen these but can’t help feeling like they won’t work if upside down bell boots have already failed. I haven’t tried them though- maybe the fabric has more cushion? They’re cheap and at this point everything is on the table so I may buy a pair and give it a shot.
Same issue with one hock! The skin is so thin and ‘breaks’ not matter what kind of ointment I use.
I used these with success on my mare with DSLD. Due to her weakness, she was tearing up her fetlocks even when deeply bedded. I had to use them religiously but in her case they worked.
2 Likes
I’ve struggled with finding bell boots that are actually LONG enough to cover the front of the fetlock, and that’s why they’ve failed. If that’s happening for you, too, these might be great.
@Maythehorsebewithme thanks for posting those! I think I’ve got my horse finally covered with some xl bell boots, but if we keep having problems, these things look great!
2 Likes
Yes Gall Salve by Bickmore will help heal the sores. It’s the only topical I found that works on tough hock sores.
We have used Hock Shields for hock sores. If that company makes front bedsore boots ( fetlock shields) they would be worth a try. The Cashel stall sore boots look like they have a similar fleece lining. Have you tried either of those?
Or maybe try socks for horses?
She has a pair of the cashel ones but opened up the left front in one day- after weeks of careful wrapping to get it fully healed I’m back to square one 
Oh my, that looks nasty!
Check this idea with your vet, but mine told me to clip the hair adjacent to the sore. It seems counterintuitive, seems like the hair would protect, but it seemed to help on my horse’s hock sores.
My boy has gotten hock sores only in winter, when he is at his hairiest. Don’t know why. Two years ago he had hock sores the size of quarters. I could not get them to close until I used the hock boots. Next year I clipped the hair over the area and they never opened.
This looks almost…proud fleshy? If that granulation tissue is extending past the skin level, that would certainly be a reason why you’re struggling so much to make progress.
1 Like
The BOT therapy boots are excellent for cushioning the fetlocks. If this is something you can have removed every morning, I highly suggest.
Lemieux makes a lovely turnout boot that goes long enough to cover as well, light weight, to help stop the skin from breaking open. Mare at the barn I board at wears them in the summer and winter during the day and the BOT’s at night. Not always ideal having boots all the time but her cuts have healed because of it. She is a sleep crasher, until that is resolved, its a precaution the owner has to take.
I had luck with the Professional’s Choice Bed Sore Boots. We had to rotate pairs so they could be washed every few days. I also considered the Equilibrium Equichaps, but never had to go that far.
I’ve used those Fetlock Shields linked above for several years and they work! I leave them on 24/7 but check them every day and swap out if they are muddy or soaked.
On the one bad fetlock, I have it wrapped with a small square of Animalintex and elastikon. I change that every day if the sore is open and every other day (or when it gets wet) when the sore is dry.
I have a horse with arthritis and sleep deprivation - he irritates his fetlocks getting down to roll but the worst damage is when he falls asleep and almost falls down. I’ve learned just to keep boots on and a wrap over any sore or scab to prevent him from reopening healing sores.
