A hoof abscess is never much fun to deal with.

Recently, Jackie LacBrecque wrote into My Stable Life with a question garnered from my Abscess-Schmabscess blog, which can be found here:

QUESTION: How long does an abscess usually take to come to the point of draining? How often do you re-apply the poultice? The mare I have has problems with reoccurring abscesses. What would cause that?

So, I summoned the help of Dr. Suzon Schaal to tackle this question. Here’s what she said:

Q. How long does an abscess usually take to come to the point of draining?

A. This will depend on the location and severity of the abscess. Some abscesses will break and drain out the sole of the foot, while others will travel up the white line and burst out the coronary band or at the heels. Some abscesses can break in a few days, whereas others can take weeks. If possible, it is best to have an abscess opened and drained out the sole by a veterinarian or farrier as this will minimize the damage to the hoof, minimize the healing time as well as minimize the discomfort to the horse.

Occasionally after an abscess has been opened or has broke and drained, the horse will appear to be doing better, but then will get worse again because the infection has tracked to a different spot in the foot. In these cases, the abscess will require further paring out to establish drainage.

Q. How often do you re-apply the poultice?

A. This again will depend on the severity of the abscess. Some will need to be soaked in hot water and epsom salts daily and therefore need the poultice re-applied daily. In other cases, the poultice may be left on for 2-5 days at a time and changed when the bandage material is wearing through or is dirty.

Q. The mare I have problems with, the abscess is  reoccurring. What would cause that?

A reoccurring abscess should always be examined by a veterinarian and they will determine if the foot requires an x-ray. There may be a foreign body in the foot such as a nail, rock, or piece of wire that is not allowing the abscess to heal.  Also, sometimes the coffin bone can become infected by an abscess  or a piece of coffin bone can be chipped off (from a traumatic injury or secondary to infection). The dead piece of bone is called a sequestrum and acts like a foreign body, causing a continued source of infection until it is removed.

Additionally, keratomas can be the cause of reoccurring abscesses. These are benign, keratin-containing soft tissue masses that can develop in the hoof. They can be diagnosed on x-ray and once removed the abscessing resolves.

Dr. Schaal is an Equine Veterinarian based out of Okotoks Animal Clinic, in Okotoks, AB.  When not working she can be found with my horses  and competing in working cow horse competitions. (She is also a 3-time NRCHA World Non-Pro Champion!)

If you caught Monday’s installment of MSL, we started off our Top Ten list of noted recent trends. If you weren’t able to catch it, you can always check it out here.

So now it’s time to detail the remaining 4 trendy notions to round out my Top 10 List. Here goes:

7. 100 Years: Calgary Stampede

The 100 day count down to the 2012 Calgary Stampede will happen in just a few days – March 29, to be exact. And 2012 is a special year as it marks the Stampede’s Centennial! Everyone is invited to join in the festivities at Olympic Plaza in Calgary, AB, on March 29 for live entertainment, some fave Stampede-time foods and some very big announcements. And what announcements are organizers already buzzing about, you ask? This year, Brad Paisley will perform with The Band Perry on July 14 at the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Paul Brandt will perform with the Young Canadians in the Grandstand Show. There will be a zipline in the midway for thrill seekers to reach speeds of up to 60 km/hour. And for the first time ever, the RCMP Musical Ride will be opening the rodeo every day during the 2012 Calgary Stampede! Can you say YAHOO?!

8. Baby Carhartt

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first saw the two adorable pairs of overalls! Carhartt makes baby clothing?? Yes, apparently they do. Ranging in infant sizes from 0 to 24 months, Carhartt has everything from ranchers jackets to work overalls to onesies decorated with farm animal and tractor print. Complete with the same leather Carhartt brandmarks we can find on our own chore jackets, these baby outfits brought a big smile to my face when we received them for the twins’ first birthday.

9. Ted Robinson

As a 2-time World’s Greatest Horseman, a 7-time Snaffle Bit Futurity champion and now, a recent inductee into the National Reined Cow Horse Association Hall of Fame, Teddy Robinson is a big-time mentor around here. We think he’s so cool that we decided to bring him to our house. That’s right! And we’re so excited!! Teddy will be visiting Twin Corazones Ranch on April 6 & 7 to conduct a working cow horse clinic for open and non-pro riders.

10. DIY Painting & Distressing Projects

As the first noted trend on my list was Pinterest, I thought it was only fitting to end my list with a spin-off from the virtual pinboard that seems to be gaining a lot of momentum. Besides the penny-pinching benefits do-it-yourself projects offer, DIY projects are also very rewarding as they have heart. Have an old cabinet you don’t know what to do with? Why not breath some new life into it with some turquoise paint and a jar of Vasoline? Looking for a personalized piece to hang on the wall of your kid’s room? Spend $4 at your local craft store to buy their initials in wood letters, paint with one color as a first base and when dry, paint loosely with a second color to give it a “distressed” feel. You’ll love the effects!

It’s amazing what you can do with a little bit of paint and creativity – sometimes the results are better than anything you could buy in a store.

It seems there are many things that serve to intensify my joy these days. The two little munchkins crawling along my floor (well, one is crawling anyways), bring me so much happiness that I often wonder if I was only a shadow, before I had children. And it is at this point in the conversation when my mother will laugh – “You used to tell me you weren’t gonna have kids…”

Then of course she finishes with an, “I told you so…”

However it doesn’t mean I don’t get tired at time. And at the end of a very long day, there are many things I turn to for inspiration, energy or just a quick smile. Here’s what’s trending in my neck of the woods these days:

1. Pinterest

I, like many others, can’t seem to get enough of this site these days! Acting as a virtual bulletin board, this website allows you peruse brilliant ideas, places, spaces and various other inspirations in the blink of an eye. You can do some virtual shopping, plan the next interior design of your house or simply “pin” up inspirational quotes and keep them for later. Pinterest is a fabulous resource and gives us a medium for keeping all those great ideas we have on the “To Do” list. And if you disagree, tell me where else can you learn about rainbow pancakes in jiffy??

2. Lindsay Sears

This Nanton, AB, cowgirl and her wonder horse Martha, can do no wrong! Hot off her win at the NFR, Lindsay Sears set an arena record with a 13.93 at Houston’s $2-Million Reliant Stadium rodeo recently. Then, she won the last stage of the rodeo in the Super Shootout and earned herself $84,900 in 2 days. With her great attitude and adoring style, I’m happy to say Lindz is also more than just a passing “trend,” this girl is a timeless role model.

Stayed tuned to My Stable Life as I will be returning shortly with an exclusive interview with Susan Sears – Lindz’s mother and a paramount key to her success!!

3. Drive By – Train

This song is just so, so – soulful. And it makes you wanna get up and dance. Even if you’re still in your pajamas. From the artists who brought you the classics, “Drops of Jupiter” and “Hey Soul Sister,” Train delivers again with “Drive By.” I love this song because its melody starts like a tapping foot and forays into a full-blown, booty-shakin’, head bobbing, fist pumpin’ boogie. Songs that climax like that definitely have my vote. And how can you go wrong with catchy lyrics like, “If they don’t like it – sue me…”

My love for this song is going viral.

4. Getting Outta Debt

After this last economic recession, I’m happy to say my husband and I learned a thing or two. And it’s really nice to know that saving, being frugal and concentrating on getting rid of debt is the new black. Debt management is as trendy as keeping up with the Joneses. And luckily, we can pick sides with this one. From my perspective, that means a lot of planned shopping, couponing and really thinking hard about what are “wants” and what are “needs”.

I take a bit of ribbing for it, but if you’re interested in couponing some great resources include:

Smart Canucks - A great website for printable coupons, freebies and great Canadian shopping deals.

Extreme Couponing Canada – Money saving tips, guides on coupon usage, and daily updates on new deals and coupons.

And if you’re interested in understanding how to go from red to black, check out a few episodes of “Til Debt Do Us Part” – money guru Gail Vaz-Oxlade tells it like it is in her hard-hitting TV-series.

5. Greek Yogurt

Thick, creamy, bliss… Is about all I can say. Greek yogurt is so popular that my neighborhood grocery store can’t even keep it on the shelves. The last two times I’ve been shopping, there’s been none for me to purchase! :( But we understand because a spoonful of this smooth, velvety snack from an authentic Greek recipe is sheer joy!

(And yes, I have coupons for it…!)

6. Pony Beds

As the company says, “Once you have a love affair with horses, you never get over it.” And hopefully our daughter never does either. So once she’s out of the toddler bed stage, this is what I plan to center her room around. Let’s just hope she doesn’t go to the dark side and choose English over Western… <big grin!>

If you’re interested in seeing more about these cool little beds made from jump standards, check out: www.ponybeds.com

Stay tuned for the next My Stable Life, where I will reveal 4 more “trends” and round out the top ten list.