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The tack room
Does anyone have any foolproof methods of keeping a poultice on the bottom of a hoof?
Notaddictedtosugar · 14/01/2014 03:47
Horse has an abscess on his toe, and my first couple of attempts to keep the poultice on have not been a great success. I've been using a combination of tape and sticky bandages. Does anyone know a better way? Someone suggested using a sock to keep it in place but he has massive feet and no matter how much I try to stretch them DH's socks won't go on! Thanks in advance. 
tattychicken · 14/01/2014 03:58
I use a bandage then cover with a large piece of plastic feed sack, taped on with liberal amounts of duck tape, partic around the toe.
ihaveacrazycat · 14/01/2014 04:22
You can get really thick black masking type tape, cut lengths of that & layer over itself to make a type of boot that you sit the foot in & then wrap up round the sides. Just make sure it's doesn't actually touch the hair as its very very sticky & in no way breathable! And to save on vetwrap use a nappy! Best tip I was ever given! Good luck!
LastingLight · 14/01/2014 05:32
The best way is to use a hoof boot if you have one. My horse recently had a huge abscess and I used nappies covered with duct tape. You can also try shade cloth taped over the nappy. Bummer that the abscess is on the toe though, as that is where the duct tape usually wears through first. Good luck, abscesses are horrible, hope your horse feels better soon.
Mitchy1nge · 14/01/2014 09:13
half a roll of vet wrap over the actual poultice (I use the smallest bit of animal lintex I can get away with) and then the really wide sticky black tape like ihaveacrazycat says, I have no idea what it's called but I bought the last lot from the vet and it's magical
horse has been turned out like that and poultice has stayed on but it was a bit costly while it lasted - I could write a column, how to make everyday horse care even more difficult and expensive
hope it is better soon, they are so painful aren't they :(
CMOTDibbler · 14/01/2014 09:13
Our YO is a total whizz on poutices and just uses a very liberal amount of duct tape over bandage. The duct tape forms a complete casing. They never come off!
Notaddictedtosugar · 14/01/2014 14:46
Thanks for the suggestions. I still have some nappies in the loft somewhere so I'll give them a go, and carry on with lots of tape! 
It did look like he was very uncomfortable, until the farrier cut a hole in his hoof to let out the gunk. He is just unhappy with being stuck in now!
PeanutPatty · 15/01/2014 22:45
Nappies and then shed loads of tape. If horse is being turned out then I would probably put feed sack on top of the nappy then tape and then remove when brought in. Hoof still needs to breathe.
Notaddictedtosugar · 16/01/2014 14:07
Thanks for all the suggestions, especially the nappies idea. It worked brilliantly. Its saved me a small fortune in bandages, and stayed on really well. He seems to be fully recovered now, shoe is back on and he is back out with his friends.
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