Dealing With Deep Long Term Thrush In Horse Hooves

Talking about how to deal with thrush that goes very deep in the horse's hoof. I released this video quite some time ago as a member's only video but I think that everybody should have access to this information
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#thrush #horsehooves #hoofcare

[@StableHorseTraining]

His feet cleared out with proper trimming and treatment of the frog in a couple of months and have never degraded since that.

[@susanflowers7969]

So good to hear he’s all better now! Not at all surprising with you at the helm. 😊🌹

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks Susan :)

[@susanflowers7969]

Oops! I thought that you said Luke! Which made no sense to me because I know that Luke is your own personal horse. And you take such good care of your horses. NOW it makes sense!

[@StableHorseTraining]

No worries 😊

[@DayDreamerInWonderland]

Excellent remedy! Side note: I believe that his sheath is swollen.. My older horse's was swollen a few months back. He had an E. Coli infection. We washed his area inside and out and treated with Ascend (blue and white tub) to treat it.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks for the tip! I had thought the same thing when I saw him and had asked his vet, but she said it was very normal for him. No problems at all :)

[@DayDreamerInWonderland]

@@StableHorseTraining How bizarre! Glad you mentioned it to be on the safe side. I saw you look at it a few times too.

[@StableHorseTraining]

@@DayDreamerInWonderland yes, definitely an odd size

[@jennifergudmundson2277]

I too thought it looks swollen.

[@LaizyDaisy]

Cushing’s (PPID) also indicated by the extra flabby sheath.

[@susanflowers7969]

Awe! Poor Luke! Thank goodness you treat your horses so well or he would really have some problems.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks Susan! but that's not Luke :) Luke is dark brown. This was Skip and he's all better not long after this video.

[@kkdoc7864]

. Thrush is caused by a yeast/fungus called Candida albicans in humans as I recall and is part of normal flora until it proliferates for some reason (often from antibiotic or steroid usage). Why do horses get this? What a great way of keeping the medication in place! Betadine kills everything, is cheap and works well . We use metronidazole, fluconazole, or similar drug for that, too, but way more expensive.

[@shawna7975]

I've tried the metronidazole

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks Kathy. That's some great information. Why do horses get it? No idea if they get that exactly and "thrush" is just a blanket term used in the horse world to describe destroyed frogs. Horses get this problem usually by standing in their own feces/urine for a long time, lack of movement but most usually by poor trimming and good horse husbandry. This is a human caused problem 100%.

[@kkdoc7864]

@@StableHorseTraining it sounds like thrush could be the same for both species maybe. Really bad diaper rash is caused by yeast (exposure to urine etc) and it develops In dark, damp places on the body not exposed to air.

[@Weejie2011]

@@kkdoc7864 Erm...no. They are not the same. Candida is naturally kept under control by bacteria, whereas equine thrush is generally caused by bacteria.

[@kkdoc7864]

@@Weejie2011 Not true in humans

[@shawna7975]

8:01 ive used apple cider vinegar/ water in soaks. Used epsom salt... thank you for sharing this "members" video. I hadn't heard about the mastitis, before. I would definitely say that my horse has one of the most severe cases thrush I've seen. At the tip of his frogs theres one large crack all way across and is open. I've kept boots on him, and he sleeps on a daybed mattress with shavings in our garage, until his hooves get stronger soles and he can be stabeled in barn again. we turn him out on days its not pouring rain, to keep circulation flowing to heal

[@StableHorseTraining]

I haven't found ACI soaks effective in my time so far. I've heard it being effective for others but I find it just takes so much longer and the way I do it here is more effective and lasts longer than just messing with the PH of the foot with something acidic. Sorry to hear you're having so much trouble, I hope it all turns out.

[@shawna7975]

@@StableHorseTraining exactly, I've noticed same. The soaks are best at loosening any feces trapped up in frog, easier to clean out. Also helps with hoof trims.

[@StableHorseTraining]

@@shawna7975 ah yes, absolutely. I'll soak for sure for those reasons too. In fact last year I built a soaking station just for that very reason! Essentially I can flood the whole floor a couple of inches and the horses just stand there for a bit. Then just quickly drain it out by pulling the plug!

[@MegaPlucas]

Shawna how is your horse now?

[@shawna7975]

@@MegaPlucas he is getting better, thank you💗

[@MegaPlucas]

I've been doing the copper sulfate powder mixed with desitin every other day. I treated daily for 2 weeks via Epsom salt/ tea tree soaks because he wouldn't let me near his sulci with a hoof pick at first. It seems to be improving but it will take a while for those cracks to fill in with new tissue.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Be cautious not to treat too often. Proper trimming is the most vital part of this process, less so than soaks and topical treatments.

[@MegaPlucas]

@@StableHorseTraining the farrier is coming Dec 31. Should I back off on treatments? I'm doing every other day now.

[@StableHorseTraining]

I think so. But I'm not there and don't know what the environment looks like nor what the hoof looks like. I would usually treat once a week or maybe twice and it's the trimming that encourages the healthy growth and cleans off the bad stuff. Without removal you're just topically treating the bad stuff for the most part, and it's already going to be coming off anyways.

[@martineinfrance]

I commented months ago and it disappeared. Thank you for these good news and well done !

[@StableHorseTraining]

You probably made it over on Patreon and not here?

[@martineinfrance]

@@StableHorseTraining probably but I know I did, but the most important is the good result.

[@billysmith5407]

How often do you change out the cotton? And do you have any recommendations for treating thrush through mud season? Unfortunately from Jan-Mar our paddocks stay pretty muddy.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Every few days should be fine, but you can do it everyday if you want. Thrush is best treated with proper trimming. A healthy hoof capsule leads to a healthy frog in the end. It's a whole hoof approach every time for me.

[@christinenibblettrealtor-k8056]

Hello, I just found your channel researching thrush. Great video! Clear instruction and excellent explanation. This video was posted two years ago. I'm just curious if you've made any adjustments to your routine? Thanks 😊

[@StableHorseTraining]

Not really, I trim a bit better now but otherwise no change so far to the overall process. It's effective and works long term with the trimming

[@christinenibblettrealtor-k8056]

Hi me again. What is the medicine you're using for the heel the frog?

[@StableHorseTraining]

​@@christinenibblettrealtor-k8056 check out this point: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKfXpGCIp52NobM as I talk about everything I do to treat this. I mention I use zinc oxide with copper sulfate crystals mixed in, betadine for cleaning and I use mastitis (which is actual medicine) for the deep crack.

[@MadeleneStJohn]

This is marvelous. Do you think you could do one on thrush and contracted heels? Thanks!

[@StableHorseTraining]

Those are two different issues. Contracted heels is more to do with very poor trim. I cover some of that in this long live stream I did recently: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHO3c6yYgd-lfg

[@MadeleneStJohn]

Darn it. It's giving me "video unavailable." Could be the weather. I'll try again, later. Thanks!

[@StableHorseTraining]

@@MadeleneStJohn kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ2nhXejar1ll6M this link works for me, let me know!

[@pennywebb867]

Should you sterilize your hoof pick, knife, etc after use?

[@StableHorseTraining]

not a bad idea, especially if you have to deal with more horses like that. Frogs and soles of horse's feet are not permeable though, so unless you're poking more frogs with your pick, then there is non real chance of harming another horse. Also, what grows in there hates air and dies quickly, so if you don't have a chance to give a solid cleaning, it doesn't stay on the pick anyways. In this case though, I do give a solid cleaning but I don't get too worried for the above reasons, just precautionary more than anything.

[@pennywebb867]

@@StableHorseTraining thanks...

[@missys]

So clearly I have never seen a bad case of thrush. I yelled ahhh...when you put the pick into the frog because I knew it shouldn't be like that. Are there prevention methods to stop this from happening? And what signs or symptoms would one look for if it's not a severe case? An ounce of prevention....😊. Glad I know now what to look for when things are bad and what to do! Thanks Graeme!

[@StableHorseTraining]

I'll do a video on this, those are great questions. Yes, there are ways to not have this happen from the beginning, which is proper hoof care. This horse had many other problems which I'll talk about too.

[@missys]

@@StableHorseTraining Thank's Graeme 😊 that would be great! I always like to know when it's okay for us to manage it on our own or when it's time to throw in the towel and have the farrier come out.

[@catherineramiah5559]

Hi…is there anything you can use to help heal the actual crack in the heal? My horse has exactly the same and the crack doesn’t seem to be growing back together. Any thoughts?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Proper trim, maintenance and solid footing are the things that are needed. There is no topical treatment for a tearing of structure. It's a physics thing.

[@carolynskelly4397]

How often would you do a treatment? Daily or every other day.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Once a week maybe. It's the trimming that fixes it and the medicine should work really quick and maintain after that. I think I only did maybe 2 or 3 treatments but trimmed every week and his thrush has never come back.

[@susancroft3734]

Hi Graeme, In regards to the Sweet Itch he has. Have you ever used Nu-Stock ointment? I believe in it a lot as its very good for skin issues on horses, dogs, cats, humans, etc. Its made with Pine Oil and Sulphur and its very effective. Good Luck.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Hmm, I haven't actually. I'll take a look at that. His new owner tried all kinds of things but I don't think I recall that one. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@debla7370]

@@StableHorseTraining his sweet itch might actually be neck tread worms... join that group on fb... no more swollen sheaths for my guy

[@gutts7433]

Very informative! I've had my boy since 2008 and we never had to deal with it before this summer, I guess it was all the rain last month or who knows what :( A horse friend of mine recommended a bottle of purple liquid called Thrush Buster. But when I looked at the ingredients it had formaldehyde which is a carcinogen and causes chemical burns. I don't think giving him cancer or burning him to beat thrush is a good trade-off lol, it's even banned in some EU countries. We're on a regular trimming schedule but it's a 7-week cycle since it's what our farrier recommended and has worked for us since we hired him 3 years ago. I guess we need to shorten that at least in the wet months.

[@StableHorseTraining]

7 weeks is double the amount of time that is healthy for a hoof. I would expect your horse is slowly degenerating over time of the 3 years and you're finally discovering the results of that. Wet weather doesn't cause thrush, unhealthy feet do.

[@StableHorseTraining]

and yes, thrushbuster is garbage and a complete and total waste of money. Snake oil.

[@InFltSvc]

They so willingly give up the foot ! Is this some you train them a long time ?

[@StableHorseTraining]

No, it doesn't take much at all to get horses to feel safe

[@InFltSvc]

@@StableHorseTraining I wish U were close to me ..not sure of places like yours take volunteers to work in exchange for the pleasure to be near these beautiful creatures.. I live in Tampa Clearwatwr FL and about an 1-1/2 from Ocala..that’s horse country for FL. But it’s a little to far for me. I drove many times up and down the east coast and they have beautiful horse country in the northern part of FL with huge ranches and well maintained property....

[@deancamp6836]

How much water did you use with the betadine? Thank you!

[@StableHorseTraining]

80/20 water/betadine

[@eddyirwan82]

Hi..if this can cause lameness to the horse?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Absolutely

[@wielandla]

My horse is at a new farm and developed thrush. She is in a much smaller flatter. paddock than before. I get over there often but not daily to clean her hooves. I noticed her frogs are not sloughing either. I have been treating it with betadine solution 2x a week. Would it help me to move her to a larger field?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thrush can be caused by a few things, mostly though it's due to poor trim. You can try to move to a bigger location but it might not solve it at all if the trim remains unhealthy. Something to keep in mind perhaps if you don't see results from changing the environment.

[@wielandla]

@@StableHorseTraining well I do have the option to get a second opinion on the trim. But my farrier has an excellent reputation.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Ok then. I'll leave it at that.

[@jenniferrydell2733]

Hey are you going to talk about dealing with thrush,or are you going to show what thrush look like?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Hey, I do from about the 2 and a half minute point.

[@susanford6926]

What are the signs of thrush?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Dead frog mostly. Split in the middle. Bad smell

[@venicebeachsportsnetwork6677]

Have you ever tried no thrush powder, it comes in a white and red bottle?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Nope. Sounds expensive and probably gimmicky. These are the ingredients supposedly: feed grade copper salt(sulfate). Insert: high purity air-floated kaolin clay, Wyoming-grade sodium montmorillonite, bentonite, food grade diatomaceous earth, iron, oregano powder. Not something I would use.

[@clintreed9923]

Should try Ricken’s Foot Formula #1 for the best results on thrush

[@StableHorseTraining]

Completely unneeded. Just another snake oil product. Do you sell it by chance? Trying to get rid of stock?

[@OliveDeuce]

Does ur horse have cellulitis? Sheath is inflamed and not it is NOT normal. This happens to my horse when he flares up

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks for the concern. This is a well known thing for this horse and a vet has been on top of it for years from my understanding. He's not my horse but when he came here initially I checked in about it too and was told it is his norm.

[@OliveDeuce]

@@StableHorseTraining awe okay, that is good to know. I’ve seen it more common with the older horses, but my horse was the first “young horse” I seen with it. Everyone thought it was Because his sheath wasn’t cleaned yet, but in reality that was just the way his body responded to cellutlis. My vet thinks he actually could’ve gotten the cellutlis from his thrush, so that is interesting how it’s a cycle. Good luck and thank u for the informative video, I have been using desitin and antibiotic cream for a few weeks now but not totally sure if it’s working 🤔

[@TaoYingarrani]

His sheathe looks kinda swollen.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Yes it does but supposedly the vet said it was no problem, he's always been like that.

[@mylittlerebornfarm756]

What about his sheath?? :Looks swollen., maybe needs a good clean

[@StableHorseTraining]

If you read other comments you'll see I've addressed this concern

[@RaniTanny]

Thanks for your video. Not expert...hoof - especially toes looks unbalanced- as in toe too long- preventing frog to get " massaged" to be healthy ( heal-toe-landing).

[@StableHorseTraining]

horses shouldn't be landing mostly "heel-toe", they should mostly be landing flat. This isn't a video about trimming but long toes do not prevent heel landing. I've got plenty of other videos about hoof trimming if you're interested. I hope that helps :)