Horses with healthy, good-quality hooves usually aren't prone to abscesses, explains Equus Magazine. An abscess is a pocket of pus that forms after bacteria enters through a crack or another deformity in the hoof.
Horse owners often panic at the sight of their lame horse until they realize the cause of lameness is an abscess. A horse with an abscess or one that is developing will often become lame in a short period of time. Many abscesses will burst on their own, but in some cases you may need to get the pus drained by your veterinarian or farrier to release the pressure in the hoof.
If you have a horse who is constantly developing abscesses, you may need to look into the problem further with your veterinarian. Recurrent abscesses in your horse could be caused by a variety of issues, such as poor-quality hooves, not keeping up on farrier care, environmental changes, chronic laminitis, or Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction ('weakening of your horse's immune system).
Read more at Equus Magazine.
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