Here’s my three and a half year update as well: little change.
Subject horse had a bout of cellulitis in January 2016 in one of the two affected hind legs. The cellulitis started higher up (groin area) and worked it’s way down the leg so something entering through one of the lesions may or may not have been the direct cause. I am sure the crud does make the affected legs more susceptible. Knock wood, he has only ever had the one bout of cellulitis.
Horse has been on paddock/pasture turn-out since July 1 of last year. Arrangement of paddocks/pastures at facility and lack of a wash rack have made it very hard to do anything to the crud on a regular basis so I have actively practiced benign neglect (oxymoron?). Based on both my and barn owner’s observation, crud has been more “stable”. Lesions are more consistently dry and crusty, less frequently “active”. Active periods are characterized by quicker buildup of lesions, the infected smell @PNWjumper alluded to and puffiness in the ankles. The increased movement from living out 24x7 may also be helping overall.
I tried the Silver Whinnys product from Sox for Horses in summer of 2015. They showed promise. There are anecdotes and testimonials of this product resolving some long term cases. But, per usage instructions (and common sense), the sox need to be changed regularly. I could get them on over the hoof, but getting them off was another story. Did I mention that horse has trouble holding up his hind feet? I gave up because it was just too hard on horse and me to get the sox off when it was time to change them. I made another attempt with the Silver Whinnys after pulling horse’s hind shoes in early 2017. I found it was even harder to get sox off over unshod hooves than shod hooves. The last time I tried to use them, I ended up cutting them off. I presently have in my possession two pairs of custom made Silver Whinnys with velcro. It is not feasible to use them as directed in horse’s current living situation, but the living situation has the potential to change so I have that waiting in my “aresenal”.
I have been dealing with and observing this condition for a dozen years now, and it makes intuitive sense to me that something in the external environment could be part of the cycle, and that keeping legs covered all the time with something safe and reasonably sanitaty (like the sox) could help break the cycle. .
@TakeAChanceinVA my horse also has that “long crusty chunk” presentation on the outside of the foot on left hind and a smaller section toward the outside heel bulb on his right hind. I found some veterinary literature that referred to this as “railroad tracks”, and when it a scab comes off intact, it does resemble such.
@PNWjumper, please let us know how it goes if you try to sarcoid stuff.
So benign neglect came back to bite us.