Beretta Equine Veterinary Services

04/14/2026

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03/10/2026

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IT'S MUD SEASON! 🌧️ DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAUSES A HOOF ABSCESS?

The scenario is all too familiar for many horse owners: yesterday your horse was sound, but today you find him three-legged lame, with no apparent injury. What could have happened? Well, you say, my horse is likely working on a foot abscess. But what does that actually mean?

Although most commonly seen during the wet winter and spring months, hoof abscesses can plague horses year-round and usually occur when debris and bacteria enter the foot through hoof cracks and wounds, even horseshoeing holes. The bacteria then get trapped between the sensitive laminae (the tissue layer that bonds the hoof capsule to the coffin bone) and the hoof wall or sole and create pus; the pus builds up over the course of time and puts pressure behind the hoof wall or sole, until it causes the sudden onset of acute lameness when the pain finally becomes too great.

The diagram below shows a simplified view of the equine hoof to help you visualize the structures involved in this process.

Hoof abscesses can mimic other more serious diseases or injuries, so involving your veterinarian early on in the diagnosis and prompt treatment of this condition is always a good idea. Some abscesses will be uncomplicated and rupture on their own like a large pimple at the coronary band or heel bulbs; other abscesses, however, could require radiographs and will need to be surgically drained.

03/09/2026

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01/27/2026

Chilly day for a tumor removal. We won’t have to worry about flies bothering the incision. The roads in long creek are still a work in progress. Hope Long Creek gets their power back soon.
Side note, the Gauge coffee shop is open. Their bagels are delicious and the coffee made my day☕️💕

01/15/2026

Attention:
Unfortunately, due to Verizon Outages, I am unable to receive phone calls. Please text or WhatsApp and I will continue to check my messages as soon as possible.
Thank you for your understanding
Dr Beretta

12/27/2025

Maude and Frank 💕

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Maude Shope and her mule, Frank, appear in Foxfire Book 2. Maude got Frank when he was just 18 months old, and by the time this photo was taken around 1972, they had been together nearly 30 years—Maude in her 80s and Frank about 32.

Living in rural Macon County, NC, Maude rode Frank to Otto for groceries and sometimes as far as Franklin. She raised pigs, kept a few cows, and shared years of stories and hard-earned lessons about Appalachian living with Foxfire students.

“I never did try t’drive a car. My mule is th’way I got around. Used t’ride him t’Otto [North Carolina] t’get groceries. I’ve drove him all th’way t’Franklin and back years ago. ’Course you couldn’t do it now. There’s too many cars on th’road. I’ve had him since he'uz eighteen months old. He’ll be thirty-two in February. You can drag wood with him—anything y’want t’do. He’ll do any kind of work you want done. Yes, sir. He’s something.”

-Maude Shope, Foxfire Book 2