Stone Bruises? Try using a 10% Iodine solution on the soles of the feet. It’s best to wear gloves as this will stain and some find it to be irritating to the skin. Apply twice a day for the first four days or so and you should see a much more comfortable horse. You can back off to once a day once improvement begins. This will help draw out any infection while toughening the feet.
Infection troubles: If you’ve done everything to try and draw out a nasty infection to no avail (and yes, a vet should be consulted for any issue that is a concern), try applying rolled cotton (the cheap kind that doesn’t adhere to the drainage area) directly to wound under your standard bandage. In some cases, this will draw out a difficult infection without sticking to the affected area.
Foot Abscess? Try mixing Betadine® and sugar into a paste and pack it in to the area. Infant diapers secured with VetWrap® and reinforced with an outer layer of duct tape make for a pretty secure and easy to apply bandage. If your horse won’t stand in a tub, they make an Epsom salt poltice (that smells great too) that can be applied to the foot and bandaged in a similar fashion.
