Equine Hoof Abscess - A deeper look...

It seems like the ONLY thing I’m good at lately is identifying holes, and designating the filling of them. As riveting as the topic of HOLES sounds - try to stick with me, because we might be able to dig each other out!

Last week I peeked out my window to see my beloved sassy sorrel unable to walk (big surprise since he always seems to be picking up a sensitivity to something.) My heart definitely sank because it seems like I’m in a perpetual circle of healing and hurting healing and hurting with this gelding. Anyway, here is an example of why I thought he was probably dying - again.

I mean, have you seen anything more pathetic??

An abscess confirmed by a small blood marked hole in his sole was the cause for his inability to walk.

‘How could such a small hole cause SO much pain and trouble?’

An abscess confirmed by a small blood marked hole in his sole was the cause for his inability to walk. ‘How could such a small hole cause SO much pain and trouble?’ I remarked to myself.  An ah-ha moment hit me! Because if there is a HOLE in the foundation (the hooves) then it shakes the whole house (horse).

There… I stopped dead in my tracks and repeated within my spirit:

"A hole in the foundation shakes the whole house."

Now surprisingly in all my years of owning horses, my OWN have never come down with an abscess. I’ve assisted clients suffering from what an abscess brings but never had the carry the burden of a hole in my own foundation.

Bitter but hopeful I muttered to myself: all the more reason for people tovalue a foundation of health for their horses.This is a perfect example of crap spiraling out of control!

Because indeed I knew all this started from a soft tissue injury sustained a week ago. My horse took himself on an independent secret rendezvous and hurt himself. There for and was unable to bear a lot of weight on his front end. Causing him to stand stationary and pathetic in his pen, soaking up a stone through his sole.

Injury provoked by a blow to our foundation will leave us sitting stuck waiting for trouble to set in.

Isn’t that the truth? If we are hurt by something, or someone we are more susceptible to getting stuck and receiving a stone in our heart from the incident.

After further pondering about holes I noted this:

Characteristics common with holes in human, horse or house foundation include; stress, lack, compromised performance, neglect and misuse.

How many times have those specific characteristics caused a hole or resulted after a hole was placed in your foundation?

Common things that can hide in holes are: germs, bugs, absence of light, and compromised tissue.

Am. I. Preaching. To. Any. body. Else!?

The next thing I had to delve into was researching just HOW I was going to provide relief for this microscopically tiny but epically painful hole in my horse’s foundation. Literally the size of a pin, but it offered pounds of pressure to feet, dismembering his ability to move at all.

The first thing I tried was getting his front hooves in some therapy soaker boots and poured in a clean mixture of half Apple Cider Vinegarhalf water. Set the timer for a few hours (Per Pete Ramey).

The next thing I did was red light his coronary band (ting points) along with underneath his hoof all over the sole where I felt the abscess wanting to burst forth.  (If you’ve been a subscriber for any amount of time you know I’m a red light therapy fanatic and rightfully so since I’ve cured other holes in my horse before. )

I put Therapy Hoof Boot on after his soak, stuffed withEasyboot Cloud padsblue cloud pads. Let him move around freely overnight.

Next morning I soaked his feet in a new mixture of Magnesium Flakesin the morning. (Just a fancy epsom salt bath ;) ). And I applied my red light again.

Other than this being an effective protocol for relieving my horse of any soreness or abscess with in 72 hours…I discovered a few things about healing components of hoof soaks.

Apples, Water, Salt, and Light could be considered holy elements of healing the hole, wholly. Holy Moly.

To address holes in our foundation we need to deal with our habits that aren’t doing us favors. Apple cider vinegar was more than the remedy to fight infection and draw out the stone in my horses hoof; we need to let God know we are sorry for even eating the apple and messing with the foundation in the first place. In Genesis our fate is marked - we are hungry little apple eaters, (Genesis 3:6&7) and there were bound to be some holes in our foundation.

Identify the hole

Sometimeswe dig our ownholes … Psalms 7:15

Just like how Eve dug her own “hole” and took the bait from the serpent. crunch!

And sometimeswe fall into holes other’shave dug…Psalms 119:85

Or like how Adam took a bite of the snack Eve handed him. gulp!

Here’s the glorious thing about the holes in us:

We don’t have to worry about finding holes when I’ve already found the HOLY one.

You see, for sake of a great analogy using apple cider vinegar as our first form of attack against infect’SIN’  we reference The Apple.

The apple that Eve ate from had to be fermented to create healing properties for the wounds sustained by other holes in our foundation. God will turn EVEN OUR MISTAKES into healing by power of His redemption for the purpose of His glory. He can turn the apples we eat out of disobedience into healing protocol if we let it FERMENT LONG ENOUGH.

So after we identify that there is a hole, lament about it, and let it soak - we move into introducing it into some powerful healing properties. Water, salt and light.

Be accountable for the hole.

For me, this means in order for the hole not to become a hole again, we have to be accountable for the hole that’s there. I do not play around with soft tissue injuries, because they can play a part in ripping my routine apart if left untreated. In hindsight I needed to use all my resources as soon as I knew there was an injury, to prevent weight compensation which may lead to improper gait distribution therefore stone absorption creating an abscess.

“When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must give compensation; he must pay money to its owner, but the dead animal will become his.” Exodus 21:33-34

Being a country girl and horsewoman at heart, I love how specific of an example the bible provides on the problems holes make and the solution we should take!

Whether your animal has a hole in his hoof, or falls into a hole we need to take accountability for the fact that it is THERE. If we don’t cover the hole (aka fill it in with truth) then we are bound to have further trouble with it down the road.  We must give ‘compensation’ (accountability) to how it happened to it doesn’t happen again.  And lastly the dead animal - yup it’s proof there was a hole, it’s kind of like a testimony we get to own up to.

Fill the hole

"That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5

The next part of the healing protocol for the hole was red lighting the area. I did this frequently, and profusely. Ting points along the coronary band, and all along the sole underneath the foot where the evidence of the abscess was. There was a lot of licking-chewing, sighing and releasing of air, and finally relaxation/peace.

I added another soaking session with half alkaline water half fancy epsom salt (magnesium sulfate flakes) for about an hour.

How interestingthat healing light in dark holes is also referenced here:

"That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5

Yes Jesus, fill that dark hole with your truth and light! What needs to be identified? What needs to change? What needs light to grow? Show me!

How interestingthat salt used for preventing and healing infection is used here:

"As for your birth, your umbilical cord wasn’t cut on the day you were born, and you weren’t washed clean with water. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.” Ezekiel 16:4

Yes, lets flush out those holes bound and susceptible to infection with a saline-healing!

How interestingthat water is the source of life to what is thirsty and needs cleaning:

"Jesus said,“Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again — ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well  of water springing up within him for eternal life.” John 4:13-14

Yes lets allow our holes to be soaked, cleansed and renewed by living water. 

Move forward on that foundation

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock." Matthew 7:24

I'm lucky that I believe in and practice a good foundation of health for my horses, and that I have an arsenal of tools at my disposal when problems do come up. This time I was especially guilty for not having the time or resources to properly dedicate aggressive therapy to a 'minor' soft tissue strain immediately after it was incurred. Hopefully this inspires someone to invest in the tools it takes to support their horses health from a foundational basis, as well as encourages them to do a life-audit on what needs to be in place to support a performance horse fully.

I don’t really know what this odd stint in horse unsoundness is supposed to be teaching me, other than I can always rely on My Healer to do a work bigger than what I could ever tinker around to fix.

So, If it seems like lately the only thing you might be good at is is identifying holes, just remember to breath because you can designate the filling them with water/salt/light.

If you are in a perpetual cycle of healing and hurting and healing be uplifted that at least you aren’t numb and dumb. And remember the most important thing…

We don’t have to worry about finding holes when I’ve already found the HOLY one!

Natural Abscess Support

- Clean and rinse hoof

- Ready the Therapy Hoof Boot

- Place hoof in soak boot and pour in mixture of half Apple Cider Vinegar

- and half water

- Let soak between 20 mins and 4 hours in a soaker boot

- Dry hoof and place padded boot

- Red light the coronary band/ting points.

- Clean and rinse hoof

- Place hoof in boot and pour in half alkaline water magic waterwith half Magnesium Flakes 

- Let soak for 20 - 60 mins

- Dry hoof and watch horse prance around because now he’s fine.

Foundational hole healing tips for humans: 

Verse References

Identify the hole

"Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves."

Genesis 3:6-7

What we should do? Cry about it

"The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.

God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart."

Psalms 51:17

Sometimes we dig our own holes

"He dug a pit and hollowed it out

but fell into the hole he had made."

Psalms 7:15

Sometimes we fall into holes other’s have dug

"The arrogant have dug pits for me;

they violate Your instruction."

Psalms 119:85

Be accountable for the hole.

"“When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must give compensation; he must pay money to its owner, but the dead animal will become his."

Exodus 21:33-34

Fill the hole

"That light shines in the darkness,

yet the darkness did not overcome it."

John 1:5

Move forward on that foundation

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock."

Matthew 7:24

‘ I don’t have to worry about finding holes when I’ve already found the HOLY one.’

"Jesus said,“Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again — ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well  of water springing up within him for eternal life.”"

John 4:13-14

"As for your birth, your umbilical cord wasn’t cut on the day you were born, and you weren’t washed clean with water. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths."

Ezekiel 16:4

Here is a great book on how to shake the giant, not the foundation!