Abcess Blowout Question

I have a mare who had a stone bruise which eventually blew out as an abcess on the bottom of her hind hoof between the sole and the hoof wall. She ended up losing a part of the hoof wall that it came out besides and now her hooves are growing out.. but the gap remains.
What needs to be done about this and how long should I expect this opening to be there?

I'm worried it will get infected although it hasnt yet its just a really odd and susceptible spot for dirt to pack.

My farrier said he'd probably treat and shoe her back feet to keep the debris out of it. Is this adequate?

They do have shoes that have a rubber to keep stuff out of the hoof that may help. Its hard to say without actually seeing it though. You don't want to put something on it that will irritate it and not let it heal properly. Your vet should know what to do, healing will only take time. Its very possible you can use some sort of ointment (from your vet) and just keep it bandaged till it heals, washing it everyday. But like I said its hard to say without actually seeing it. My advice is talking to your vet, I know theyre expensive but when it comes to serious stuff it can be worth it sometimes. Hope I helped

I tend to agree with the other post. I would have your vet come out and evaluate her. Remember, farriers are a great source of information, but they are not medical experts and they do not replace that expertise. I learned that quickly with my horse. I would put a neborn diaper around the affected hoof then duct tape it. Keep it as clean as possible until your vet can come and evaluate whether or not she needs antibiotics and possibly xrays. Anything with their feet/hooves always air on the side of caution. Have you checked her temp, bounding pulses and also checked for heet on the effected leg? What about giving her Bute? Good luck. Keep us posted.

Pics would be really helpfull. Absesses generally don't need vet attention once they have blown. How long ago did it blow out? If its growing down I wouldnt worry about it but if its getting bigger you may beed to get your farrier to stablise the crack by putting some wire and metal in the hoof to hold it together and making a drain that you can flush out daily with saline solution.(please note that only a Qualified farrier should attempt this, not a vet or espesailly not youself)

If the abscess blew out a while ago (as your post implies), new hoof wall should be gorwing downward, and new sole should be filling in, but sole growth is usually quite a bit slower than hoof wall, and if it was a particularly deep abscess it may take a while to fill in. However, if it is no longer cuasing lameness or oozing pus, the wound has sealed itslef off, and isnt' likely to become reinfected,unless in muddy/foul conditions or the original source of irritation isn't removed.

A shoe can TRAP dirt, but it doesn't really matter, either way. Once the abscess is done, it's done, if it popped on it's own. If cut into to make it drain, the chances of reinfection are much higher.

Old drainage holes don't pose a threat, usually and will eventually fill in with new, healthy growth, or in the case of the "Graveled" abscess, the wall simply grows down and the hole is trimmed out or worn off at some point.