My gelding had an abscess along the coronet band in his right front hoof about 15 weeks ago. I never saw any discharge and he was never lame. My farrier was the one who noticed the 2 inch crack along the coronet band. The only indication that my trainer and I had that something was not right was a change in his behavior. Normally, when he sees a human, he immediately comes to the gate if out in the field or to the stall door if inside. He also felt “heavy” and a little clumsy when traveling to the right. The behavior change lasted for about a week (we just walked him) and he was back to his normal interactive and forward-moving self. We’ve watched the downward progression of the crack as his hoof grows. It has been cold and wet here (rain, mud, then snow and more mud) and yesterday, the gelding started to present the same behavior as when he had the abscess (not interactive, feeling heavy and a little clumsy). There is no new abscess that I can find. Any thoughts on what is causing the discomfort to return?
Anything is possible where abscesses are concerned, but, off the top of my head, I’d venture to say that an abscess occurring in the lower part of the foot, and exiting through the sole, is more likely to cause the kind of damage that causes long term pain.
Can you really be sure there’s no new abscess? Or no underlying condition?
Did the original abscess actually burst? The same abscess can flare up and go away for a long time without bursting and draining.
I’d be concerned that there’s more infection in there and until it drains completely it can keep coming back.
personally I would consult a vet if there is a penetrating foreign body in there you have a journey to go on
It is definitely worth x-raying that foot. That will let you know if you have another abscess brewing or something structural (either from the prior abscess, an unrelated issue, or something like a keratoma causing trouble).
All, thank you for all your thoughts and suggestions. Yesterday, the hoof was really warm and on the lunge, he moved fine to the left but funky to the right. This morning, the hoof was normal temperature, his behavior was normal and he had his usual springy gaits. The opinion of 2 farriers was that debris stuck in the crack were causing discomfort. It has been super muddy and wet over the past week. I’m watching this closely. Having a radiograph taken of the hoof is also a good idea.
