Things You'll Need
- Shoe boil ring
- Hay
- Straw
- Water
- Needle
Instructions
Buckle a shoe-boil ring around the horse's pastern. This acts as a guard, and prevents the horseshoe from rubbing against the elbow when the horse lies down. A shoe-boil ring prevents the injury from happening in the first place. It prevents the boil from worsening if it has already formed.
Add more bedding to your horse's stable. This acts as a spacer between the elbow and the shoe. This is known as a deep-litter bedding system. Build up to 18 inches of bedding to provide extra cushioning. The elbow and shoe have less contact with one another, giving the boil a chance to heal.
Apply cold water to the area. Cold water washes -- followed by aseptic aspiration -- is often successful. Consult a vet for the correct way to perform aseptic aspiration, which involves using a needle to burst the boil. Vets typically recommend administering an injection of a corticosteroid to reduce the size of a boil.