We have all been there. You get your horse from the field, clean their feet and you dread the realization... They have thrush.... Today we are talking about how to prevent and treat thrush in horses.
Thrush- is a bacterial/fungal infection in the hoof mainly around the frog but can also happen in the white line area and heel bulbs of the hoof.
How to prevent? Preventing thrush is better than treating thrush but it is easier said than done. Good pasture management, and preventative treatments can be used. Keeping horses out of manure, mud, and wet conditions is the best way to prevent thrush. If you do not have stalls for your horses managing the mud is very important.
Some ways to manage mud is adding gravel to the subsoil layer of our soil and adding sand to the topsoil mixing it in with the soil already there. Limit grazing time in the pasture, and add sand or other dry matter to high traffic areas. If you do not have those options right now I would suggest a mud shield powder such a Keratex mud shield-
Now if your horse already has thrush you need to attack it head on. There are many ways to treat thrush. My favorite is an iodine wash with a hard bristled brush to clean, then I use "Thrush buster" with a cotton pad stuffed into the crack or crevices that the thrush has created. This gives you hours of treatment- do this every day for a week then every other day.
If you want a cheaper way use "Tomorrow" a cow mastitis treatment, use the same method, cotton pad stuffed into the cracks and lubricate with the medication. Keeping an eye on thrush is important, keeping the hooves dry and clean are the best way to keep up with and fight it. The next trim your horse has make sure you tell your farrier the situation so they can cut some of the dead tissue and can apply a copper sulfate to also help!
Throughout the post you will see some of the products mentioned! We will be discussing other spring terrors very soon so stay tuned!
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