Bands Diaper

How to treat a horse coronary band abcess?

My 20+ gelding was "walking tippy toed" while I was out of town, When I returned and washed his back right leg off - it was stocked up and warm around the heel. I took him to my friend's barn and washed his leg down better and found a ruptured abcess at the outer coronary band. Have been treating with warm compress/epsom salts, bag balm and a disposible diaper to keep it clean in shavings. Good - bad - what next?

I don't know who gave the girl whom suggested soaking in warm apple vinegar cider, but she is absolutely correct.

I'm a retired vet, so I've come across alot of abscess's in my day. Here's what I would suggest you do.

Give a shot of Banamine to ease any pain.Soak the horse's foot in warm apple vinegar cider for 10 minutes. This will soften the coronary band. Epsom salts only help with inflamation. Let dry and walk your horse on a grassy area for 20 minutes. Gently wrap your horse's hoof in a linseed poultice. These are great wraps that will heal that hoof up right clear. Leave wrapped until dry. Then walk again for 20 minutes. Make sure you keep walking your horse as this will allow the pus to move out of the band faster and your horse won't stock up as bad. You need to ditch the diaper as this can create an infection in the hoof wall and further lame out your horse. Infection thrives in dark moist places and that diaper will soak up excess pus and only multiply the infection. Let the hoof dry out and keep up with this process for 3-5 days. If it hasn't gotten better by then, call the vet. Don't waste your time with the farrier as most overcharge to treat abscess's and they won't guarentee their work.
Make sure you are walking your horse. It may seem cruel to do so with him in pain, but the banamine will help, but the hoof will need help to heal itself.