My horses butt has swelling on both sides in each butt cheek, how to treat this and what is it?

Dori2021

Member
Oct 9, 2021
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US, NH
My horse had been fighting an abscess from a hot nail placed too high. Her front right leg had a lot of swelling. The abscess finally popped on the coronary band and I thought we were good and now my mare's butt cheeks on both sides have a lot of swelling. The swelling is worse around the top of the butt on the left and right sides both butt cheeks but also travels down swollen into the top of the hind legs. I have never seen anything like this before. I have not called the vet yet. Is this related to the abscess or does it have anything to do with recent vaccinations ( about a month ago)? No vaccines were given in the butt. The timing is more coinciding with the hot nail and the abscess that burst through the coronary band. When the farrier put the hot nail in my mare was in obvious real discomfort pulling back and making a noise, the pain was obvious, and I mentioned to him I thought the nail was too high and he said it wasn't. Abscess was not until a couple weeks later with a swollen leg and it burst on the coronary band right above the hot nail. So is this problem with a very, very swollen butt on both sides somehow related to this hot nail, but the hot nail was on the FRONT hoof not the hind? She just burst the abscess about 5 days ago. Trying to figure this out and how to treat. Has anyone seen anything like this before? Can you help with any advice? Also, I am now uncomfortable with having this farrier back. Any advice? I am getting really concerned about this and will inform my vet tomorrow.
 
Speak to your vet asap. I would have thought your vet might administer long acting antibiotics and give you a course of anti inflammatory injections to give.

If you have danilon or bute i would posdibly give that twice a day. It does sound related from what your describing but i would get the vet out who may ask to see the horse trot up to see if it is lame as infection and inflammation could well be travelling up through the leg.

For my curiousity, I have never heard of a hot nail. Is this a term used or is there such a thing. Someone im sure will educate me on this.
 
Hot nail meaning a nail placed too high on the horses hoof causing severe pain and in this case a hoof abscess that popped right above the nail on the coronary band. Oh geez, my poor girl is 25 years old and was doing well until all this happened. I will call the vet first thing in the morning. I have many pictures I took in my cell phone but not sure how to get them in here. I will have to figure that out. Thank you for your response!
 
I agree with @chunky monkey about getting a vet to see her. My initial reaction was it could be tight muscles from holding herself in a way to take the weight off the front, but that wouldn't tie in with the swelling spreading so you may have a separate issue that needs looking at.

I've also never heard of hot nails being used - surely they'd just bend since the whole point of heating shoes is to make them easier to shape? Hot shoeing yes, but not with hot nails and even with hot shoeing the shoe is cold before nailing onto the foot.
 
In its simplest definition, a hot nail is one driven into a horse's hoof during shoeing too close or one that actually goes into a horse's hoof wall. It can be likened to getting something under your finger that pierces the quick under your nail.

 
Yes I will call a vet first thing in the morning. Thank your for responding. I wish I could post a picture. I will try to figure out how to do that tomorrow. It is pretty bad when you see it.
 
Just seen a hot nail is a difference in term, not an actual hot nail.

Any farrier can make a mistake but the fact that she was immediately uncomfortable makes me question why he didn't immediately remove the nail and spray with purple spray or similar.
 
Just seen a hot nail is a difference in term, not an actual hot nail.

Any farrier can make a mistake but the fact that she was immediately uncomfortable makes me question why he didn't immediately remove the nail and spray with purple spray or similar.
Forgot to mention, my mare was 3 legged lame with abscess. But it finally burst in coronary band, swelling in that leg went away and she is sound on that leg now. And then this new problem just appeared. I feel it must somehow be related but now sure. I will post back after the vet sees her. Thanks again.
 
If you want to post a picture click the box below the quick reply area where it says attach files. Go to something like files, maybe downloads and photos if your pictures are uploaded to google photos. Just select the picture. It wont let me select more than one at at time to upload here. So just keep coming back and using the attach files box.
 
There is also the possibility it wasn’t a hot nail, but that the abscess was already brewing and made having a correctly placed nail put in painful.
I wouldn’t assume that the swelling on the bum is directly related to a front foot abscess, but perhaps during the abscess she’s been propping herself against a wall/fence to take weight off the front and that’s made her bum sore, could also be completely unrelated and something like pinworm causing her to make it sore, or a lot of other things. It’s definitely time for a call to the vet to take a look if the swelling is ongoing and spreading.
 
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@Dori2021 an abscess is very painful, it isn't at all unusual for a horse to be non-weightbearing with one. There's a saying that two things look like a broken leg - one is a broken leg and the other is an abscess.

If you really aren't happy about having that farrier back then find another. but as I said before any farrier can make a mistake and @Jessey has a very good point about maybe the abscess was already brewing and the nail was actually fine. If you've been using this farrier for some time with no problems I wouldn't be too quick to replace him.
 
I missed the bit about the nail going in the front foot and the bum swelling. I was assumed the nail went in the back foot, which is why i said could be related. More morning coffee needed. Now this has been pointed out, i say you really do need someone experienced like the vet to make a proper analysis.

It could be the whole horses body is generally inflamed because of abcess. It could be the horse is over balancing because he doesnt want to apply weight where the pressure is. Your vet may suggest getting someone to do some physio or massage to help relax the horse.
 
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Here is a picture of the swelling on the left side. Swelling on the inner cheeks as well not seen real well here.
 

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I missed the bit about the nail going in the front foot and the bum swelling. I was assumed the nail went in the back foot, which is why i said could be related. More morning coffee needed. Now this has been pointed out, i say you really do need someone experienced like the vet to make a proper analysis.

It could be the whole horses body is generally inflamed because of abscess. It could be the horse is over balancing because he doesn't want to apply weight where the pressure is. Your vet may suggest getting someone to do some physio or massage to help relax the horse.
I wonder if there is more abscess moving through the body and trying to find a way out? Or I am also concerned it could be a bacterial infection that made its way in through the coronary wall in the front hoof where the abscess popped and maybe some bacteria found its way in? She also had shots a month ago. I read that if not cleaned and alcohol properly (not done) at vaccination site that bacteria can find its way in through injection site. Vets just seem to inject without swabbing any alcohol on first. A million things running through my mind. Also new farrier only 3rd time doing her. Former farrier moved. And new vet. Former vet retired. So the vet and farrier I had for years that took care of her are no longer available. 😕
 
I agree swelling is odd.

I can tell you from a recent experience with my dog, that infection and poisoning goes through the whole body very quickly. They can knock an animal off there feet in hours.
I think you need to go with the vets advice. You cant dwell on what caused it necessarily at the moment just what your faced with. You never know they may come out and could have seen this 100 times. If you arent happy then ask for another vet to come out from the practice or look for another vetinery practice with good recommendations.
 
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I just found this thread from 2007 on this site which is exactly what my horse has also. I have already sent texts and pictures to my new vet. I will call as soon as they are open. Yes I am very concerned. Feeling something to do with the new vet or the new young farrier, not that it matters at this point. I just need to get her fixed and then make decisions after that. She was fine before we started down this road. Very scary.

 
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