I’m living on Abscess Avenue here. 
I hate making the duct tape patch/grid/whatever-you-call-it in cold weather to wrap the hoof.
So, I got to wondering…can you pre-make them? I was thinking of making them and putting layers of parchment or wax paper between them. I don’t think they’d stick to the parchment, but that very feature of not sticking might leave the adhesive backing on the tape vulnerable to drying out.
Has anyone ever done this? Or do you have another idea? Thanks!
You might be able to make it before you head out to the barn, and minimally handle it. I don’t know how you would make multiples, they’re pretty big, but it’s likely possible!
Or get a case of these: https://equifit.net/products/pack-n-stick-hooftape
I’d try a small sample first.
Pretty sure the duct tape adhesive will stick to parchment or waxed paper.
Maybe foil?
Reynolds sells precut sheets. I find boxes of 25 at Dollar Tree.
I feel your pain on Abcess Hell.
Spent 8 Months treating my TB when an abcess caused him to slough half his sole.
He’s been gone since 2009 & I still occasionally find scraps of the duct tape boots I made in my big pasture.
That stuff is indestructible!
I’ve ordered these directly from Joe Vet. They are the bee’s knees
@lenapesadie What a cool idea! Unfortunately, they have been discontinued. Bummer.
@endlessclimb I’ve used those before, but they are incredibly fragile. Thanks for trying, though!
The horror! What a shame.
One of my former students did an externship at a big equine clinic and said there was a pre-made patch on the inside of the cabinet door in each exam room.
I’ve used some inexpensive plastic cutting mats like these:
to make them ahead of time.
Duct tape, even the good kind, isn’t very long lasting for making abscess boots. And it’s made of plastic, which is horrible for the environment. Just buy a hoof boot that’s a little big, wrap your hoof and put the boot on top. Yes, made of plastic too but you can reuse them indefinitely.
I think Duct tape is highly inferior to what it used to be and I fear that once you unroll the pieces they won’t stick if not used immediately.
I guess it depends on how far in advance they’re made. I wouldn’t think there would be any issue making them 1-2 weeks ahead of time but more than a month might make a difference.
Honestly though? If you’re having to make so many abscess boots you’re considering pre-making the duct tape pads, I would just buy a larger hoof boot like others have said. Another good option would be this:
https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/hoof-wraps-6183
They won’t last indefinitely like a proper hoof boot, but they’re a good option that’s in-between single use duct tape pads and a hoof boot that’s more expensive. They look very similar to the one @lenapesadie linked to but have velcro instead of peel-off sticky. They also have numbers on all the different tabs so dum-dums who throw out the instructions without reading them can figure out how to put on the boot (not speaking from experience or anything there) 
I have that Velcro wrap too. I didn’t like it much but it worked as intended. Tractor Supply stores sometimes carry them.
I started using this stuff about a month ago: https://reboundhoofpack.com/. Works insanely well, no wrapping.
That appears to be similar to Magic Cushion (which I also use, but not for abscesses). Thanks for the product link, though!
Thanks to all for your ideas. I got home today to find Miss Mare bearing more weight on that leg, and there’s an abscess about ready to pop around the coronet band (yay!). I tried the duct tape on both wax paper and parchment paper. It will easily peel off both of them, but it has just enough stickiness on the parchment paper to keep it in place. I made a duct tape square and put it on the parchment paper. I’m going to wait several days and see if it will peel off yet still have enough stickiness to itself on the “wings” to be useful. I’ll report back.
Love these
Someone should make a boots that’s stretchy gum, like Tingleys for boots, wouldn’t that be a useful, reuse able product?
What about the Woof Wear medical boot?
I’ve never personally used it but you maybe would be able to skip the duct tape and use the boot to protect the rest of your wrap.
This stuff is great!
I used one of these once, and the crease it left between the fetlock and the heel made a wound that I had a HECK of a time getting to heal.
Maybe on a different horse it would work, but I won’t use them again.
You seem to have solved your problem, but you used to be able to buy duct tape in 12 inch wide rolls, or 12x12 inch squares. If you make several cuts in from the edges at strategic spots, you just have to peel, slap on hoof and fold around it. Haven’t looked in ages so I don’t know if that’s still available.
Grey
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
