Treating hoof thrush

[@tonyaparker8563]

this is the only person actually washing and cleaning the hoof before applying something ,,,, i think this was very good

[@Christofferne]

@@Back2Basix Yeah and here, most farriers don't even clean the area. Just remove bad frog and doing their thing and explain to the owner how to treat.

[@silverkitty2503]

@@Christofferne No they wash it. Don't pay attention to videos on youtube....in real life farriers like this one wash the hoof ..and owners should too ..about every 3 to six days even on a healthy hoof... That is ON TOP of picking out the feet roughly once or twice a day also when you pick out a hoof use the brush end to brush out the frog ..this is done dry. Use hoof oil after you wash them everytime ..unless you have been told otherwise.

[@artemisiagentileschi2400]

@@silverkitty2503 wrong, the other person was correct saying they don't wash the hoof. But they should.

[@Foxiepawstotti]

@@silverkitty2503 no they don't. I think just because your Farrier is better than most you can negate everything everyone else is saying. I have had horses since the 60's and believe me they usually just cut it out. No water involved! Of course you're speaking about Real life as if the rest of us live in fairy and unicorn land! But sharing Trump's wife's name you would be an expert!

[@brandywood8591]

Symbols bleach and soapy water works even on human feet fungus kills it right away

[@shovelspade480]

I'm a farrier, get abit demoralized working on my own, great to have other farriers share their work and experience. It's very motivating. I appreciate it.

[@1337pede]

I don't know shit about horses, but this video was very fascinating to me.

[@homeoncrystalridge]

Great job! Probably the best example that I’ve seen to treating thrush!

[@Shadeskast]

Alex my name is Pete I'm a farrier in the states. Nice job. Fine craftsmanship.

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Shadeskast Hi Pete, thanks for your comments! Where about in the states? I would certainly like to experience some shoeing over there, possibly Florida 👌

[@Shadeskast]

That is a good idea. Ive been shoeing in Michigan since 1995. I would wait till the summer to come here the winters can go into the negative wind chills. Florida would be a perfect to shoe in our winter months. I do work out of a 15foot trailer with a portable heater in it so its not too horrible. A bunch of us would like to travel your way.

[@CindyQ17]

Hi Alex I enjoy your videos so thanks for sharing. Can I ask about this thrush treatment? How long would it usually take to get a deep sulcus crack to resolve mostly? How often do you apply? I wonder if vaseline as a carrier would trap moisture inside as it's near impossible to dry the inside of a deep crack after washing? Does copper sulphate burn or damage the live tissue at all?

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Cindy Q yes don’t use too much copper sulphate and especially on any open wounds. Deep clefts can sometimes be treated using a flossing method and soaking the flossing material with diluted iodine or even hydrogen peroxide

[@Billy_Darley]

@@Shadeskast WA state here. just out of curiosity, what do you charge for shoeing one horse? i know a girl who wants to get into this business and i was just curious what a typical farrier might charge for their services.

[@kayBTR]

Good photos of the thrush. (It was so nice when the music quit playing while you were speaking.)

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

kayBTR Thanks Kay! I definitely get your point about the music, I may have to tone the music down slightly in future 🙈😂👍

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Apologies for the music, im getting the hint maybe less music in future and more information. :)

[@nancysweeney2160]

Mr. Ridgeway, Thank for taking care of this discomfort on the horse. He thanks you.😄

[@dinamonaghan7524]

I once worked with a horse trader who kept from 60 to 80 horses. We were always short-handed and dealt with thrush by simply pouring bleach on the horn and frog. Those horses would have appreciated your doctoring. Your videos are always educational. I really appreciate them. It's nice to know what I should have been doing all those years ago.

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Bleach 😲..... Well everyone has there own ways of treating thrush. I would always recommend avoiding chemicals if possible and just improve both stable and Hoof management.

[@Foxiepawstotti]

@@AlexRidgewayFarrier well hydrogen peroxide is a type of bleach.

[@stevealiceevans5477]

Thank you for this very thorough explanation of how to treat these hoof problems. Incredibly helpful

[@SuzanneAshtonEHUK]

We've used this in our article for February!

[@pickupwisdom86]

Thanks for creating this video! I was thinking to wash my horse's frog and now I had the confirmation that it is a good idea!

[@RedMoonsEcho]

I do my own farrier work on my horses and I wash them every time I work on them. I know it may be obsessive washing. But I love my work horses and they have huge feet

[@GagaMazzu]

Thank you for sharing all this information!

[@johnbosco8209]

I learned a lot of information from you brother.

[@dahwriter]

I have a similar mixture for aggressive thrush. I let the copper sulfate dissolve in tea tree oil, then mix it with a small amount of pine tar and Vaseline. It smells awful, but stays on and tackles thrush quite well. Also had to use it for a few cases of white line disease.

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

This is brillant! Great advice thank you for sharing

[@Foxiepawstotti]

Nice. Thank You, I would imagine this stays put really well!

[@mervebitkin7955]

Thank you for this valuable information. Greetings from Turkey

[@bagofskin8804]

What a well behaved horse

[@mmanut]

GREAT EXPLANATION, THANK YOU‼️👍👍. Vinny 🇺🇸

[@lindsaygrove6153]

Great video! Very informative. Although I see what people are saying about the music. It's kind of distracting and your voice is kind of hard to hear. I think it might be your accent too (no matter how attractive it sounds, lol.) Also, don't mind the haters. People will always find something to complain about...especially when it comes to horses I've noticed. I'm a veterinary assistant (in training) here in the U.S. and from what I observed, you did a better job of treating the thrush than any other I've seen. At least so far. :)

[@johnhauser5751]

Excellent video. Very helpful !

[@makeup5745]

New to your video , excellent job going to be doing this treatment to my mare thankyou Alex top video Subscribed and turned on the bell

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Thank you and glad to have your support 🙏😊

[@Thewildmanwoods]

Great to see a clear video…my donkeys have seedy toe

[@alnez2053]

Thank you I’m going to use this on my senior horse

[@stacysimmons7766]

Thanks for this video. I used this on my big draft and it worked like a charm. Now using the Kevin Bacon foot solution.

[@MegaPlucas]

Is copper sulfate powder ok to use? Versus crystals? I mix the powder with desitin diaper cream.

[@nickb7795]

Can you do an update to this video?

[@caroldocherty6810]

A few decades ago we treated our horses with hydrogen peroxide (of course after first scrubbing and cleaning hooves) Then dryed hoof and using a stocking filled with lime powder we dusted the frog and inner hoof.

[@mpappas53]

Thank you so much for this informative video. What really and truly annoys me is that my farrier has not even mentioned that my horse has thrush and scratches. He has not asked if I'm aware or (if so) what I'm doing to handle them. Guess I'm going to have to find a different farrier.

[@reidcopeland9187]

It might be prudent to consult a veterinarian

[@BLYFACTOR]

I'm curious would boiling water on a hoof work kill the bacteria or maybe a steamer hmm

[@Odo55]

What about performing this treatment indoors on a dry floor, then using a hairdryer before applying ointments ❓

[@Foxiepawstotti]

My horses would freak if I took a hairdryer anywhere near them. Which is saying something because they're all practically bombproof. Everything has it's limits!

[@meganpahl3612]

I need top ask you a question and I pray you will answer it. I have a mare who HATES having her feet touched but we still do daily. However, we had a very muddy winter here in Idaho USA. Needless to say, I have been battling thrush in her front right hoof since spring. We are to the point that the frog is looking much better; however, I am concerned about the sole of the hoof. The powder-like layer of un-exfoliated sole smells like stinky human feet. 1: can thrush absorb into the sole and keep the hoof soft inside and 2: other than keep it dry, should I wrap her hoof in an epsom poltice for a while to draw it out of the sole? Forgive my silly question but I am very concerned here and need some help. I am cleaning the hoof after picking with chlorhgexadine wash and treating with thrush buster but IF IT IS POSSIBLE for thrush to harbor itself in the sole of the hoof, how can I treat this??????

[@epicanomaly]

Can’t for the life of me find where to purchase copper sulphate here in Alberta Canada.. What is a good alternative?

[@sohaibbash]

Whatare you mixingwith vaseline

[@agrointegratedfarm3971]

Very good information cordially thanks from India and Tamil Nadu

[@truthfulkarl]

whats your thoughts on using a water flosser to help clean out those cracks?

[@mariagillinson8527]

New to your channel, wish the music was lower or none. Great vlog! Thanks

[@kristy7969]

Hi, does the copper sulfate mix cause any damage to the frog/hoof as it can be quite harsh? Thank you

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Kristy Shaddick hello Kirsty, yes copper sulphate can be aggressive and should be used sparingly. Do not apply it on open or exposed live tissue. Mix it well within the Vaseline and use it weekly rather than daily for regular frog treatment. I would also recommend Kevin Bacon frog solution for a daily treatment.

[@MegaPlucas]

Kristy I use copper sulfate powder. 2 tsp per 8 Oz of desitin diaper cream. I use it daily but it's a much smaller amount of cs.

[@devissenchengan2375]

Can you plzz put the name of the product, thxx

[@michellegodfrey2219]

So please can u tell us when do you use the Kevin beacon stuff as you mentioned ..?

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Michelle Godfrey Hi there, i would recommend using the KB hoof solution daily if your horse has thrush. There are plenty of other products out there and for more severe cases of thrush I would recommend this method no more the once or twice a week. However avoid using copper sulphate on any open wounds and areas of soreness.

[@michellegodfrey2219]

Alex Ridgeway Farrier Thank you for your quick reply 😃we just have a soft frog 🐸 Just looking at courses ? ect thinking handy to have product in ..

[@lucasa1849]

I use hoofclear to treat thrush. It's a blue liquid. Are you familliar with it?

[@woolgathered]

Do you ever use gentian violet? Works great on humans for thrush. Very purple though.

[@michellenixon7067]

How often would you apply the copper sulphate mix ?

[@wagnersfarm]

Once a week

[@Kenney9120]

This is why daily attention is so important. Thrush is caused by neglect,,period. Even if the horse needs nothing check him daily from head to toe. If you spot any sign of something like thrush treat it NOW,,not tomorrow. "Prevention is better than cure" is one of the wisest pieces of advice you can follow around horses.

[@sicilyny5375]

Thrush can be from neglect but some horses have issues with their hooves and frogs hereditary. My mare had issues always with thrush and had to have special filing of her hoof and trimming of her frog constantly. Also...constant muddy environment is bad for hooves. Just saying!

[@rochelle2706]

Good job

[@the.magnus]

Kevin Bacon 🥓 is now in the horse hoof business lol

[@johnmansell5097]

We have just started this treatment on a horse we have purchased. The horse finds it irritating in one of its hoofs, keeps stomping it hoof on the floor. Is this normal, Will this eventually stop and is there something else we need to do? Thanks for the great video.

[@evelyn_r]

Please don’t confuse people: it’s either a fungal or a bacterial infection. There’s a difference. I believe you’re talking about a fungal infection that would require antifungal treatment. Fungus like to eat away at dead things. While bacteria like living things and especially places that are very moist and warm. That’s why they love wounds and cuts to infect. They are treated with antibiotics. Many antibiotics actually come from fungi; for example penicillin. Most importantly, an antifungal will not treat a bacterial infection, the same goes vice versa: antibiotics will not treat a fungal infection. This will just encourage resistance in the strands of either one. Otherwise I love your vids! They’re informative and easy to follow, even for someone like me who hasn’t been much around horses

[@MMandGlitter]

You do know thrush is yeast right so that answers the question right there.

[@maxrempel]

Right

[@TheGoodanakin]

Thrush can be caused by bacteria or fungus.

[@heatherwelberry1]

Thrush in humans is fungal but in horses it's bacterial.. same name.. completely different type of bacteria/ fungus. Please Google it like I did (and anyone else who wants to call him out should) before you say anything because human and animal medicine or diseases are NOT always the same thing even with the same name !!

[@TheGoodanakin]

@@heatherwelberry1 The type of infection is primarily dependent on the horses environment. My horse is kept in an area with high rainfall and clay soil which holds moisture. His thrush was caused by fungus as it responded well to antifungal treatment. In drier areas thrush in hooves is more commonly caused by bacteria. Thrush is basically a name for an infection of the frog which "looks" the same regardless of the source of infection. You can only truly know by either swabbing the foot and doing cultures or treating and seeing what it responds to. Pete ramey has some excellent advice on treating thrush www.hoofrehab.com/thrush_treatment.htm

[@jamesmckay9966]

Alex, Has any one developed a High Pressure Water PIc like humans use on teeth? It looks like that would be a good tool to use to pressure wash away bad debris. Jim in Boise , Idaho USA

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Not to my Knowledge Jim, We have used syringes in the past to flush out necortic material but no actualy High pressure tool.

[@planter347]

I am from india. Can any one explain about how much times i have to apply this mix on a weak. I mean inerval betwween each application.

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

A couple of applications a week. Most importantly keep the feet clean and dry for as long as possible

[@wtasch]

My Hackney pony has never had any problems with his feet his entire 14 year life. I just took a syringe and pumped in tripple anti bac.. ointment mix with liquid copper sulfate. but it's too watery. I will find the crystals and get it in there deep. His frogs look identical to this horse where he has a hole. I have been washing his feet, but afraid I am not getting it cleaned deep enough. thanks for the info.

[@susan137]

Bacterial infection are treated with antibiotics. Fungal infections are treated with antifungals and definitely not with antibiotics. Antibiotics make fungal infections worse. (Think women on antibiotics sometimes have an outbreak of yeast) This is why I find this video very confusing. I hope you changed to an antifungal and left off antibiotics on the hooves of your pony with thrush.

[@dayerinarecio7722]

Trush infection is bad ,please help ,my horse is 9 years and I don't now what to do with this bad bacteria ,can you help? My name is dayerina ,from gardendale,texas

[@liquidsnakeslovechild3599]

Good job you gave your name and where you are from. Vital information to help the horse

[@einarasgeirsson2578]

CS+Vaseline vs. f.ex. thrush buster?

[@susan137]

Bacterial and fungal are two very different things. So, ... which do think thrush is?

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Bacteria! 👍

[@susan137]

@@AlexRidgewayFarrier Humm ... I looked this up and according to Wikipedia the cause of thrush in horse hooves is Fusobacterium necrophorum. Just opposite of what I was told as a youth when my dad raised, trained and sold horses as a side job. The way we treated thrush was to: 1) Take the horse off any grain or sweet feed for a weak to 10 days. 2) Clean the hooves with pick and stiff brush no less than 2 times a day. And possibly up to 4 times a day. 3) Two of those cleaning would be accompanied by application of a bleach solution with a rag, wiped on the entire hoof and squeezed liberally on to frog and clefts. 4) if the horse had hollowed out a place to stand that was filled with water that would have to be filled in with dirt (an act of futility with some horses). Anyhow I've always since related this treatment to how external fungus should be treated. But come to think of it if myself or sibling got poison oak 2 to 4 times a day the area was sponged with straight bleach. I still treat poison oak this way. Well, anyhow poison oak isn't a fungus (I think) but the treatment worked as well as bleach solution on athletes foot. Ah well live and learn.

[@Foxiepawstotti]

The fact that it's called thrush leads you to think it's fungal like human thrush but it isn't.

[@ronnetteharvey2002]

Use Spurrs Big Fix it actually dissolves the fungus Immediately!

[@jamesmckay9966]

Do you ever use Hydrogen Peroxide?

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Yes, we use Hydrogen Peroxide alot and i think its a great product to use in certain situations. Sometimes we mix it with iodine also to create a strong cleaning agent to kill off bacteria and flush out any infection. The bubbling and fizzing is a clear indication of any dirt or infection still remaining.

[@maxrempel]

@@AlexRidgewayFarrier Fungus is not bacteria.

[@StrathpefferJunction]

Really interesting video and great information - thank you. Music is a bit distracting though...sounds like a tennage dance party!

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Strathpeffer Junction 😂 party 🎉 everyone’s welcome

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Strathpeffer Junction glad you enjoyed the video though 👌😄

[@StrathpefferJunction]

@@AlexRidgewayFarrier LOL. The video is really well done and really interesting (I've no idea how I even found it, but learned something new)...just need to bring my glow sticks for the next one! Lol 😜

[@dunroaminequestrian2548]

Brilliant video, thank you Alex! I live in Turkey and we have just gone through severe wet weather. Unfortunately at our current location, we have almost zero dry standing. My farrier came 2 days ago and said my mare has thrush. He started IM antibiotics and advised similar to what you suggest also. What are your thoughts on apple cider vinegar for treatment of thrush? While we have so much wet/ muddy grounds, im worried as to how I can best manage her thrush and prevent it reoccuring. Her soles are soft, as are my youngsters too. It concerns me.

[@sheila7909]

My mare is lame, she’s 22 and I think I might be treat, there’s no smell

[@roseault6335]

Cool accent!!! Xxx

[@DembaiVT]

Thrush, once and for all, is a FUNGUS. It's not a bacterium in the SLIGHTEST. Other than that, EXCELLENT video with showing the treatment. I just don't want to see people putting antibacterial treatments on this disease and ending up worse off.

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

I believes its latin name is FusoBacterium-Necrophoreum, so i would believe it to be a bacteria. Apologies for any mention of a fungus.

[@Lilee177]

It's a bacteria. Science literally says so.

[@MonsieurLeScoob]

When you say "fungus" I believe you are thinking of: Athlete's Foot (Tinea Pedis) or Ringworm (Tinea Corporis) - which are fungal infections. As mentioned in the other posts, thrush is a bacterial infection.

[@kayk8411]

Alex Ridgeway Farrier is the horse in pain when you dig it out ? Ty

[@maxrempel]

@@AlexRidgewayFarrier Oh, then it is a different story . Here is a paper supporting this www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22909990

[@lueyadams]

Think I could listen to you talk about horse poo and I would still enjoy it... 😉

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

lueyadams 😂 thanks

[@comesahorseman]

Now, *that's* a contracted heel! 😵 You wouldn't believe what we used to treat it with... formaldehyde! Say what you will, it worked!

[@liquidsnakeslovechild3599]

Why do all these hoof specialists on KZbin have such terrible music in their videos

[@rondierice4922]

Kevin Bacon solution ??

[@dawnmason9558]

Footloose maybe????

[@dawnmason9558]

Sorry couldn't resist.

[@tozobozo4142]

Good information. Music is godawful.

[@pinkbarracuda6764]

Love your vids, hate the music.

[@RedMoonsEcho]

I wish people stop putting music in the videos while they are talking

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

Sorry....😬 Let me know if I can clear anything up?

[@unusedaccountlivery6249]

The reason this horse has thrush is because it’s shod and the shoes are pinching the bulbs of the heels together, contracting them and making a deep crevice where the thrush can thrive. The frog is severely shrivelled from shoeing.

[@Lilee177]

Actually, looking at the time this video was posted and having been from the UK... the Thrush was likely caused by boggy fields. Winter of '17 was extremely wet and boggy in the UK. I know of several unshod horses that developed thrush, including multiple yearlings, because of the awful conditions from the weather. Don't spread lies because you don't like the prospect of shoeing.

[@unusedaccountlivery6249]

Lilee I’m lying about the frog and heels being contracted???

[@DanielDauphin]

Shoes are a fixed to the front of the hoof capsule. The rear bulbs can absolutely move in and out and up and down. This is easily verified with hoof testers. Those shoes have zero to do with thrush.

[@SNAILZILA]

Bethan Summers Your Dumb

[@dawnmason9558]

He keeps saying BACTERIAL but Thrush is a FUNGUS.

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

I'm sorry it's a bacteria, fusobacterium necrophorum. Canker would be a fungus

[@dawnmason9558]

@@AlexRidgewayFarrier Thrush is caused by Candida Albicans in humans you did not explain that it is caused by a different type of "germ" in horses. 99.9% of us only know thrush as Candida. I am a nurse & have never heard of that fusobacterium causing thrush.

[@maxrempel]

Keep reading the comments, it seems to be a bacterium after all. See here, for ex. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22909990

[@Foxiepawstotti]

@@dawnmason9558 in humans smartarse

[@Genetk44]

Fresh grass-fed cowshit poultice twice a day.

[@bmc06239]

I can't believe 2017 and farriers are still clueless as to the root causes and best ways to treat thrush. The root cause in most cases is the contracted heel, which in most cases is caused by years of over protection in shoes. Another common problem is poor hoof mapping...long toe. The next is incorrect bar support (3:19) look at the bruising (red lines) on the bar. The best way to resolve thrush is to transition your horse to barefoot with a qualified trimmer and try to get the horse to move ten miles or more everyday.

[@AlexRidgewayFarrier]

bmc06239 Hello, thank you for watching. I do feel that rather than creating hostility between professions, wouldn’t it be more constructive to share ideas and help educate each other? I’m certainly open to your thoughts and more than happy to discuss certain practises I choose to carry out. I am strongly in favour of horses being barefoot where possible, and I did try to stress the importance of a strong and healthy frog for correct hoof mechanism. Although this is often compromised as a side effect to shoes we have to work within the restraints of commercial requirements. I do also believe there are multiple ways of treating thrush and hope to produce future content on this, your comments will certainly be considered. Thank you Alex

[@bmc06239]

Your methods for treating thrush are how you were taught in England, and it is primitive. I'm sorry if you think my comment hostile, it is meant to grab the attention of the viewer not the author of the video. Most times the author's do not even read or respond to my comments. You wrote "we have to work within the restraints of commercial requirements. " What does that even mean... is it that economics influences your decision to continue shoeing even when you know the better solution for the horse would be barefoot. If that's the case then creating hostility between professions is best for the horse wouldn't you agree? If you are not familiar enough to transition horses like these to barefoot then I am eager to share everything I have learned. Do you know the root cause for the bar distortion I pointed out and how it is effecting this horses ability to fight thrush ?

[@victorialazareva]

My horse cannot be without shoes for example, because she excessively wears her feet (especially hinds). If she moved ten miles a day she'd have no feet at all. I am so tired of this barefoot propaganda

[@marissay333]

Another crazy barefooter. Nice job Alex

[@rafterjspecializedhoofcare4144]

This is coming from a guy who when openly challenged for animal abuse on his you tube channel, admitted he was not any type of fairer or equine podiatrist... you are an insulting little troll not any type of horseman or Farrier....

[@themancalledx]

That music has got to go

[@MariaVazquez-fn7iw]

😛😛😛😛😛😛😝😝😜😜

[@bradybyrum6885]

Your teaching is great but the background music is highly irritating while I am trying to listen to YOU. Please stop trying to be like everybody else and overlay that crap because it INTERFERES with the very reason I watch your videos. Thank you.

[@rochelle2706]

Good job