Thrush

[striderrider]

This time of year my horse seems to get that black, icky, stinky, thrushyness in the clefts of his frog. What are some of the thrush remedies out there that people use?

[horse99]

First off, keep your horse's living area CLEAN. If you have a lot of mud, dig it out and put down some crusher if you can on the areas he likes to stand in. Pick out the hooves daily, brush out any access dirt with a hoof brush, and spray or paint the enire sole, frog, clefts and crevices with iodine or betadine (sp) solution. There are other remedies you can pick up at the tack shop like coppertox, but they are more expensive and stain your hands, clothes, horse's skin, isle ways etc. Do this treatment for about a week and it should be basically gone.

[peppysan]

I just want to add, make sure your horse is getting trimmed/shod regularly. This helps with general hoof health and the farrier will pare everything down so that the crevice's do not get so deep. The thrush festers in the crevices.

[striderrider]

Thank you so much. Horse99 I followed your advice and this really seems to help at or least it's keeping it at bay.

I HATE mud and there is so much of it right now with this atrotious weather. We will all need gills soon it has been raining so much.

[alove4horses]

I have to say that since my horse had his shoes pulled, he does not have any thrush! Usually at this time of year I am dealing with this same issue but this year is different! I think more air can get to the feet or something or because of the way he is trimmed, like peppy says, the crevace's are not so deep. The feet look healthier in general to me.