If your horse likes to find its way into muddy or moist conditions, there’s a decent chance he’ll get thrush in his hooves. This is a common bacterial infection that’s smelly and totally treatable. In fact, curing your horse of this problem won’t take long if you plan for it and follow simple techniques.
Understanding and noticing it
If you notice a rotting odor coming from the hoof, he probably has thrush. The odor can be really foul, much worse than typical hoof smell. The organism is officially known as Spherophorus neaophorus, and it eats away at the sensitive tissues of the frog and leaves a dark-colored ooze on the surface. You might even notice your horse limping due to the discomfort.
Causes
Thrush tends to take hold in really dirty conditions, where the mud is not only moist but potentially contains lots of manure and urine. Not only that, horses who have overgrown hooves and who get little exercise are more likely to contract it.
Preventing it
If you’re able to keep the stall clean with fresh bedding, it can help prevent the problem from happening in the first place. What’s more, hooves should be cleaned and picked out often to make sure there’s nothing in the foot that wants to rub against the frog. Despite these efforts, thrush can still occur if the shape of the foot causes him to move uneasily.
Treating it
Although a veterinarian may be needed to treat the infected areas, you can probably handle it on your own. A topical treatment will be prescribed, and you’ll simply need to soak the solution onto a homemade cotton swab. You can make a swab by tightly wrapping loose cotton around a hoof pick. Wipe the sides of the frog and get it into the cracks – use plenty of pressure. The swab will get darker, so repeat these steps and use fresh cotton until it doesn’t retain dark colors anymore.
If the infection gets worse, you may need antibiotics. In the meantime, ride with caution, because his feet could be tender.
Some horses could be prone to thrush no matter what you do. The best bet is to keep a close watch on your horse whenever possible.
