Horses hoof

Question
I have two questions. the first is my horse has had some heet in his heel for about a week. He is not favoring it at all and sometime there is no heat and sometime the heat seems to change locations in his hoof. My thought would be an abcess but with him not favoring it it makes me wonder. My second question is he has some round tiny holes in his frog that come and go, any idea what they are. Thanks for your help.

Converned mom,

leslie

Answer
Leslie,
I agree that is rather odd for him to have heat, and the holes in the frog but not favor it.  However, depending on his pain tolerance he may not, my gelding had a nail hanging out of his leg and was sound!  
I would defiantely call your farrier to check it out.  I would guess that he either banged is foot on something (got it caught in a fence, or banged it on a tree, etc.) and does have an abcess deep in the sole.  The holes in his frog may be drainage holes from the possible abscess.  
Really that is the only thing I could think it could possibly be, other than thrush.  If he is kept in a very muddy paddock, or has access to a pond where his feet would be in soft mud or dirt quite often, he could have gotten thrush, which is a fungus caused by bacteria in the mud.  This could cause heat around the heel, coronet band, and sometimes up the leg about half way, and that could also be what's causing the holes, they could be his pores enlarging due to the infection.  The distinctive syptom of thrush is that his hoof will stick really bad, similar to rotten egg salad!  
But defiantely call your farrier to check it out, or your vet.  

I hope I have answered your question.  Please let me know if I can help with anything else, I am always available.