It’s Just Thrush, What’s the Big Deal? by Resources of the International Association of Professional Farriers
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t is important that the horse owner understands, a hoof with any amount of thrush is NOT a healthy hoof! Thrush is a microbial invasion of the sulci, or the grooves surrounding the frog, that often leads to an infection in the tissue of the frog. The discharge associated with thrush is usually black in color and characteristically has a highly unpleasant odor. Infection of the frog and surrounding tissues often leads to lameness. High humidity or wet environments predispose horses to thrush. Once the organisms begin dividing in the frog sulci, the stage is set for a progressive invasion and subsequent infection of the frog tissue. Other factors that cause a hoof to be predisposed to thrush include: unclean stall environments, lack of oxygen to the frog, poor hoof maintenance, and/or poor trimming. The health of your horse’s hooves is not your farrier’s responsibility alone. Treating and preventing thrush will take a joint effort from both you and your farrier. Thrush, and other hoof problems, will likely continue to develop and never resolve if you are not involved in the daily responsibility of caring for your horse’s hooves. The responsibility of preventing thrush can be broken into three parts. First is maintenance. There is more to hoof maintenance than scheduling your farrier every four to six weeks. Proper hoof maintenance is a daily objective that the horse owner must manage. This includes
picking feet daily, which will help reduce an environment conducive to thrush. Also, keeping a regular farrier schedule allows your farrier to spot early signs of thrush and assist in treating thrush. Be mindful that caustic chemicals are not be used for thrush treatment as they can create additional hoof damage where bacteria can thrive! Second is nutrition. Nutrition plays a vital role in the development of a healthy hoof. A healthy hoof is more
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resilient to the bacteria that causes thrush. As the horse owner, it is your responsibility to ensure your horse receives a balanced diet that supports hoof health. A quality hoof supplement can assist in developing new and healthier hoof growth. The nutrients provided will also strengthen the hoof, making it more resilient to chips and cracks which act as entry points for the microbial invasions that lead to crumbly hoof horn, White line disease and thrush.
This new growth will also quicken the recovery time of the hoof. Third, but also very important is environment. Even with proper maintenance and nutrition, the environment can wreak havoc on your horse’s hooves. Most cases of thrush are predisposed by environmental conditions. Leaving your horse in wet, mucky areas or unclean paddocks can quickly destroy the hoof. You will promote chronic thrush if your horse is regularly being exposed to these environments. It is important to consistently manage the environment surrounding your horse. To help prevent thrush, keep stalls clean/dry, limit exposure to wet/muddy paddocks, and apply conditioner to maintain hoof moisture balance. When left unchecked, thrush can become a serious issue, even leading to lameness. It is important to act at the first signs of thrush and not wait until it becomes more serious. Through proper hoof management horse owners can not only treat current cases of thrush, but can also prevent future cases from developing. Always consult your farrier and veterinarian if your horse develops any hoof related issue. NOTE: The International Association of Professional Farriers have created bi-lingual 11” x 17” posters on the topics of “Thrush 911” and “Laminitis 911”. Through the support of IAPF Educational Partners they are able to make these posters available to horse owners, trainers, grooms, and others at no charge (including postage). To order your posters, please visit their website: professionalfarriers.com
