Thrush

Thrush is easily diagnosed. When you pick out the clefts alongside the frog, you’ll find a variable quantity of black, moist and horribly offensive smelling material. In the early stages, the horse is sound. However, if the disease is allowed to progress, the animal is likely to become lame. In the most extreme cases, large areas of the frog tissue may be easily removed and the horse’s limb can become swollen. Horses with deep frog clefts are more prone to this condition.

The good news is that thrush is also easily prevented. HYGENE! Can I say that any louder? It’s a husbandry issue. Thrush occurs as a result of the horse standing around in wet conditions without his hooves being cleaned regularly.

The first step in a course of treatment is to remove the cause. Get the animal into better housing. If the pastures are all muddy and wet, keep him inside. Make sure his stall is cleaned daily. Keep his toes cut short, as horses with long toes and contracted heels tend to have deeper clefts.

Once you’ve corrected the housing problem, you have control the bacterial infection, and it’s not terribly difficult. Pick out his hooves really well. Remove all of the necrotic (dead) material and scrub the surfaces of the hoof with an antiseptic solution. Make sure it’s good and dry. Then apply a topical dressing like Coppertox or iodine. This final step will kill all of the nasty bacteria. You have to repeat these steps every day until all signs of thrush are gone.

Lastly and most important: Keep the horse’s living conditions clean and dry. Visit Gladstone Equine’s library for books and hoof anatomy charts that include more details on thrush.

Gladstone Equine can help find and treat your horse’s physical problems painlessly. Click here to make an appointment.