Allowed the horses about 5 minutes of it today. first of the season. We usually start at 5 minutes and add about 5 minutes per day as we don't have what y'all down in America call, what is it? Oh yeah...pasture!

I've seen horses get too much too soon and am very conservative until they are up to about 45 to 60 minutes per day. Then I'll turn them out as long as they want or I have time to allow.

They ate like a fat man on the first ear of corn for the year. A least that's what it sounded like.

Hayburners…..uh, horses make eating grass sound like more fun that any other critter I am aware of.

As my pard likes to say, 'they fell upon it with glad cries"!

A fitting commentary as well for the family dog's consumption of fresh beaver heads, a delicacy only consumed with delicacy when it came to the teeth - which he so carefully spit out on the floor.

Had them out a few weeks already. Didn't take them long to scalp one 5 acre patch.

I had a big scare the last few days. I'm really careful about letting these mules eat this spring grass,but darn if one didn't come up lame. Thought for sure it was founder, but the vet today said it was an abcess ,probably dueto a bruise on the sole or? and then all this mud we have.

So he is out of commison for several weeks and it is my only saddle mule

I have found that hoof supplement in the feed helps prevent abscesses and hardens the sole up quicker after getting one. got Hoof from Jeffers is very good and no expensive.

Vince-
Did the Vet open the abcess to let it drain or is it only a bruied sole?

SUpplements may help, but the best thing I've found in muddy pens, is to get them where the feet can dry out. Turpentine or rubbing alcohol painted on the sole and allowed to dry will harden and toughen the sole too.

Dry is definite the best case if possible.

It seems the vet must have relieved the pressure. We didn't see anyhing when we dug a spot out in the sole,but in three days the mule is getting better and better..

There is no dry ground around. It has been raining for a month stright now and weather forecast is for thunder storms for the next week.

I could lock them up in a stall with mats and fill with shavings, but that is going to get wet fast with urine no matter how many times I muck it out.

I have been letting them out on grass for 1/2 hour twice a day now , mostly because it is only wet and not muddy.

Hoof supplement won't help here. The soles are so soft from all the moisture, the vet figures the mule might have brusied itself,causing the abcess.

Lookslike all is on the mend though,unless he has a set back. I can deal with an abcess,but I was sure worried at first it was founder. The vet says he is treating a lot of that right now because people are just turning their horses out 24/7 without letting them get use to it a little bit more each day.

These mules have tough feet and it is not like I have epidemics of abcesses. This is the 2nd one in 39 years. The one mule is about 18 and never been shoed.The other is 16

Good to hear the progress. mules do usually have pretty tough feet.

I'm sure you are aware to check the relief hole and keep as clean as you can. Betadine wouldn't be bad either.

Good luck!

Have been doing that.Soak with Epsum Salt sand coat with betadine

I talked to one of the vet at Red River Equine about hoof supplement to help harden the soles of an accessed foot and he said that it helped. I told I thought it did but a lot of people tell me I am full of it. I know I've seen a difference on the ones that I've tried it on.

The supplement would need to be started well in advance of the abscess occurring for it to work.

It would not do anything beneficial for the abscess if started after the abscess formed.

Not saying it won't help nor did I say you were full of it. Only that we have had serious wet weather here.The most rain in May for Colorado since records were kept and my reply was the one my vet stated. My one mule is 18years old,never had shoes on and feet are like iron. The other is 16 years old and it is hard to even drive a nail thru them. Mule feet are a lot tougher than horse feet. As I mentioned since I have only encountered two abcesses in 40 + years, I don't think I have an epidemic nor do I need supplments and giving them after the fact isn't going to help as long as we have mud everywhere.It might help others who have horses.