Cole said the overall lack of research on hoof abscesses could be because they often have good clinical outcomes, so there is a general feeling that the current standard of care is likely the correct approach. | Photo: iStock

Fact: Complications can delay hoof abscess healing.

Fact: In most cases, horses recover well.

And, until recently, there wasn’t much more scientific data on subsolar abscesses than that. So researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) set out to put more hard data behind these common hoof ailments. They wanted to identify trends that could help horse owners and their veterinarians better manage abscesses and more accurately anticipate how they’ll heal and if they’re likely to develop complications