Yes but had you not gone and had it identified and treated (I assume it was treated) - it might have developed into something worse than “just an abscess”). Better safe than sorry.
I turned to a vacuum when I inherited a black horse. It made life so easy I started vacuuming all the horses after regular grooming them.
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We are working on the vacuum! It works great on his coat but he’s a bit dubious of it, he’s getting there though. I use a small shop vac so it’s not too horrifying for him. He’s a mini so at least there is not too much territory to clean.
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I got a big shop vac with extra hose. Kept the vacuum on the other side of the grooming stall so it cut down on the noise. They were used to a water hose so getting used to the vac hose was easy-peasy.
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A longer hose is a good idea! I bet he’d be happier with that. Thanks!
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I had one of those…swelling in the fetlock and maybe 2/5 lame. It didn’t seem to improve so off to the vet we go (and I had to find someone to take us as I was non-weight bearing after foot surgery). He x-rayed and only saw soft tissue swelling. The verdict was a sprained fetlock. $365 (this was 11 years ago). Bute for 3 days. She improved so of course I didn’t go out the day after she finished the bute and then next day arrived to find a horse with stovepipe swelling clear above her hock and only touch weight bearing. OMG…what did you do? Yep…abscess. My friend helped me soak her and when I got there the next day we had the blessed hole in the hairline at the heel and a much happier horse. She has killer hard feet and I think the soaking opened up a channel for the abscess.
Abscesses are such a pain in the butt for us in the foot for poor horsie. Jingling to quick resolution to dear Peach.
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He should be fine, at this point it’s just a long wait for the gigantic hole in his sole to grow back over. Once that happens, we’re golden. Right now I’m trying to coordinate getting a hospital plate or similar put on his foot so we can get out of the incessant wrapping/boot situation 
I’m hopeful that by the time his foot is healed, he will also be at a good weight and ready to start working.
I put Peach out in an empty paddock yesterday so I could clean his stall. Here he is shortly after getting yelled at for doing exactly what the vet said NOT to do, trying to run around. He is not sorry.
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Wanting to run around is a good sign, even if it is naughty of him.
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He just wanted to remind me that he IS, in fact, only 4. And had been a goodest boy for long enough, yeehaw. 
I look forward to the day when he is sound again and I finally get the chance to see how he moves. 
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He looks better, still thin but smoother overall as things start to fill in. I well understand the wrapping hoof fatigue you are suffering, just remember every repetition gets you closer to being done with it. At least with this one…there may be others lurking.
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Yep - depending on the angle from which you are viewing him, he either looks pretty OK or pretty thin given the abscess situation these last couple weeks I think he’s doing ok, but I would like to see him start packing on the pounds now that we’re headed out of the woods.
Fingers crossed for no more abscesses!!
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You don’t want to pack on the pounds too quickly. It goes to their hooves, they end up with not just abcesses but also corns and the abscesses can turn into quittor.
Slowly is the name of the game. Be a tortoise not a hare.
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it never gets easier.Peachy got his hospital plate put on today, which will make my life (and his) much easier while we have to treat this foot. He ended up having to be sedated for nailing on the side with the abscess, but was otherwise trying to be a good baby brain. And he travels like an absolute PRO - big gold star for that.
Contemplating the meaning of life or plotting ways to get back at me, but enjoying the special air conditioned farrier suite while his special shoe was being shaped:
Now, we just treat and wait for the sole to grow in. However long that may take but we’re guessing it’ll be a while.
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Peachy pix from breakfast.
He’s doing well, pretty sound walking around although I can tell he’s still a little tender on that foot when turning just so. I’m starting to see measurable progress in the weight gain department now that he’s not so painful - he’s still pretty ribby from certain angles, but the flank space is filling in and his neck looks ever-so-slightly less pencil-y.
Otherwise, he’s just hanging out and eating. He seems happier to be in this paddock right next to Elmo instead of in the pasture just across the way 
so he’ll stay in it for now.
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He does look like he is starting to pack on the pounds.
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What are feeding him if you don’t mind me asking? (Just for my own curiosity and education. I know Bo presented… challenges…)
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Right now, he’s getting:
Free choice grass hay (which he picks at)
As much alfalfa as he will eat (3-5 flakes, which is roughly 20-35lb as my flakes are in the 7-8lb range)
TC Sr (currently up to 9lb/day, split into 3 meals)
He also gets vitamin E pellets, multifly and a dash of oil in the PM just to get the loose salt to stick. He’s not a fan of the salt, but it’s damn hot and he sweats up a storm in the afternoons.
The hay is not in exact amounts because I basically just keep an eye on him and give him more when he runs out. If I give him too much alfalfa at once, he just eats the leaves and pees/poops on the stems and then asks for more.
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Thanks so much!
I understand on the hay! We are trying to get weight back on a 28 year old mare here at the house. She was on a balancer and alfalfa that she cleaned up. An increase in Prascend and the heat sent her to a hunger strike. With the vet’s help we’ve got her back to her on track…but are really pushing the hay and alfalfa on her so long as she is finishing up what she was given earlier. It’s a fine line!
I felt your struggles with Bo. Nothing would make this girl happy except Purinia Senior. So that’s what she gets for now…
