Question on Hoof Rot

Justin wrote to ask about rot in his horse's hooves. "Hi. What is the best thing to do (about) the rotten smell coming out of my horse's hoofs? Not all of them smell bad, all the time but I'm thinking I need to do something."

Hey Justin, the smell is from a condition called Thrush, or it could be a pre-Thrush condition - meaning if left untreated it could turn into thrush. Thrush is caused by an anaerobic organism, meaning an organism that thrives without air. Air is the enemy of thrush, and sometimes cleaning out the rot to expose to the air will get rid of it for a time.

If left un-checked, Thrush can eat away the surface of the hoof - the part you see when you clean the feet as well as the softer frog - the spongy V shaped portion of the hoof. Hooves degraded from Thrush can actually lame up a horse, but I haven't seen this except for only the most egregious of neglect cases.

In the photo of the hoof at left you can see the white powdery material in the V crevice of the frog and the sole.  The black substance is thrush developing and it will be stinky.  Not as bad as my boot socks, but not smelling good in any case.  Pick the debris and manure out with a hoof pick and as you are scrapping much of the rot should come out too.

The biggest environmental factor for horses getting thrush is manure in the stalls. Removing manure, raking the stall and cleaning the feet can keep your horse(s) relatively Thrush free. Horses will generally clean their own hooves to some degree as they move around and their hooves hit the ground, expand and contract, and the process of their feet hitting the ground can often dislodge manure and it will drop away. If moving on hard or rocky ground, that ground can also chip away at material left in the hoof. However, the manure and wet soil can get lodges in the crevice of the frog and sole and then requires someone to pull it away using a hoof pick.

Good, routine farrier care is important for sound feet including any considering any comments and recommendations from your shoer/trimmer about Thrush in their hooves. Did you farrier say something to you about cleaning the feet more often? 

When you get that nasty Thrush smell and see evidence of black, decaying sole or frog, there are several things you can do to treat the hoof after cleaning it. There are commercial products to treat Thrush like Kopertox, Thrush Buster, No Thrush and many others. You can also use common household bleach or iodine. I use Kopertox for the most part. I don't use it that much, and when I do really only one application is necessary.

Kopertox's active ingredient is a diluted form of Copper Naphthenate, and as other commercial Thrush treatments, Kopertox tends to dry out the hoof. I try not to use Kopertox at least a week before my shoer comes so the feet aren't as hard as Superman's kneecap and therefore hard to trim with a hoof knife.  I live in the desert where you would think the feet wouldn't get Thrush because of the dryness, but we have our rainy seasons and it doesn't take long for wet soil and the Thrush organism present in the soil to make it's arrival on the hoof and particularly in the clefs of the frog. Checking your horse's feet once a day isn't too often. 

Hoof Supplements: Carolyn's Question

Carolyn Moore left a comment on this site: "Very informative blog you got here. Ever considered adding a post about hoof supplements? I think it would make a great addition to the site. :)"

Thanks for your comments Carolyn.  Years ago my horse shoer was shoeing Border Patrol horses on contract and met a student at New Mexico State University who was finishing his Doctorate, in some field related to ruminant management or equine nutrition, who was contracted himself to evaluate how the Border Patrol was feeding their horses. The student, Justin, was also a hand with horses having previous worked on a ranch and feedlots in Kansas, so my shoer invited him when it was time to trim and shoe horses at the stables I was managing years ago.

Since, at the time I had three horses to be shod and also held horses for other people, I spent the whole day, every six weeks, at the farrier's stand with these two and was able bother Justin with questions about equine nutrition and supplements. I remember Justin was not too supportative of supplements in general, but did say something to the effect that if any supplements work, then hoof supplements would be it, providing they have the necessary amounts of Biotin, Methoinine and Lysine in the formulation.

I actually contracted Justin at a later date to give a presentation on equine nutrition, which resulted in some people quiting their practice of feeding sweet feed and probably creating some grateful horses as well, as some needed more feed and other less.

Back to horse feet and supplements,.........my 22 year old roping horse turned up three legged lame one day and a subsequent vet check and x-ray revealed that he had broke the wing of his coffin bone in his rear, right hoof. My shoer said that he had only seen that twice before, on much younger horses, and that he had success in getting these horses sound again. If I was willing to try to bring my horse back to soundness, he was willing to try.

My shoer fitted bar shoes on my horse for 9 or 10 months and I kept that horse on Horseshoer's Secret hoof supplement. When the last bar shoe came off we had the same Vet take x-rays again, but the Vet was pretty sure because of the age of the horse that he would not be healed. I had a feeling he was wrong, and I was right as the x-rays revealed a complete heeling of the coffin bone. While my shoer deserves most of the credit, I do believe the hoof supplements provided the necessary nutrients for the hoof to heal as best it could.

Today, my main horse is Junior, just a grade horse out of Mexico. Hoof problems are pretty common in horse's who do not get consistently good feed, but when I bought Junior years ago my shoer said his feet were in terrible shape,......big outside flairs in the bars, thin hoof walls, dropped heel bulbs on one back foot. My shoer did not have much hope of this horse turning out to be a good horse for my horseback law enforcement duties in the back country. But Junior never failed me,..never lost a shoe except the time we were loping and hit a sink hole where he over stepped and sprung a front shoe which I had to finish pulling off....that's were a Hoof Wraps bandage came in handy to protect that foot as we moved back to the horse trailer.

I also put Junior on hoof supplements, alternating between Farriers Formula and Horseshoer's Secret. My shoer did his usual great job, but still today he say's Junior's feet are still terrible, but he also remarks that Junior's soles are healthy and he grows alot of foot between shoeing. I attribute that to good, consistent feed and the hoof supplements.

So Carolyn now that I've bored you to death, the bottom line is that I do believe hoof supplements work. But also believe that not all horses need them, and that a horse would have to be on hoof supplements for 9 months or more to be able to tell a difference. Hoof supplements can't fix conformational problems, but can (I believe) give your horse the nutrients for as healthy of feet that is possible for him - combined with good farrier care and consistent, good feed.  And if you put a horse on good hoof supplements, then consider not telling your farrier and see if he or she notices a difference.

Equine Soaker - Hoof Soaking Boot

While Hoof Wraps brought out the Equine Soaker quite a while ago, it's a good enough product to cover again, as well as the new Soaker Sacks that can be used with the Equine Soaker or by itself to keep a medicine on a hoof such as treating an infection from a puncture, using with a epsom salt solution for a stone bruise, or treating a really bad case of thrush. 

Hard rubber boot of which there are many designs, are hard to secure and are only as high as around the coronary band, are the traditional method of applying a medicine poultice or soaking the hoof with epsom salts. And I'm sure some of you, as well as I, have placed a horse's foot in a bucket to soak but that requires holding the horse.  On some horses the bucket works well, on other the Equine Soaker may be a better solution.  

The Equine Soaker is a heavy duty nylon sack and comes with two EVA hoof pads for the inside bottom and is secured using two velcro straps and draw cord secured with two cord locks so you can secure the equine soaker above the coronary band and above the fetlock. An additional Velcro EZ strap is provided as well to replace a worn out velcro strap or to additional secure the Soaker Sack. The Equine Soaker is made of thick ballistic nylon and has a coated nylon liner, and is six inches in diameter so it will last a long time and fit all but an elephant's hoof. Priced currently at $34.95 it is an affordable piece of equipment to have on hand.

The Soaker Sack comes in a package of two Soaker Sacks, two Velcro EZ straps and 1 EVA foam pad and are 18 inches tall x 12 inches wide. The Soaker Sacks can be used inside the Equine Soaker to prolong the useability of the Equine Soaker. Currently priced at $18.00 they are another affordable item for your horse medicine bag. Both of these pieces of horse health care items are available from Hoof Wraps.com

Protecting and Treating Hooves

How many times have some of us used a combination of gauze pads or cloth soaked in Epson salts, duct tape and a few cuss words thrown in to treat some sort of hoof ailment like a puncture?  Hoof Wraps makes a multi-use, multi-purpose bandage constructed from 2200 denier ballistic nylon and is flat and small enough to fit into your saddle bags so you can carry this on trail rides for the times you lose a shoe, get a bad stone bruise or a hoof puncture. I have been carrying the Hoof Wraps Equine Bandage in my saddle bags for years now. Even used it once on someone else's horse, but was glad to have the Hoof Bandage and EVA foam pad on hand to cushion the hoof that lost the shoe during our ride out of the rock mountainous area.

Hoof Wraps now makes a gel pad infused with Jojoba and Tea Tree oils, so this pad can be used with a Hoof Bandage to treat many hoof ailments. These natural oils has been used for centuries for fighting bacteria. Makes good sense to me. I have used mixes of Tea Tree Oil and Mineral oil to coat hoofs and provide some much needed moisture to soles and frog since the arid desert dries up hooves, and when they are dry they chip more easily. Go here to see Hoof Wraps products. It's worth a look just to see the great pictures they have on their pages.

Ruidoso Hoof Gauge

Lynda asked “Do you use the Ruidoso Hoof gauge?”

No Ma’am, I had to look it up to see what it was (see picture at right).    I am not a horse shoer. If I shoed my own horses, they would all be lame and ill tempered most of the time. I have pulled shoes and put a nail or two in a shoe to keep it on, but I am no horse shoer at all. I pay a gent good money to travel over 2 hours one way, every six weeks to trim and shoe my horses and I’m very satisfied with this arrangement. A good horse shoer is worth their weight in gold.

I have no opinion either on hoof gauges, the Ruidoso Hoof Gauge or any other. My shoer sometimes uses a straight ruler to measure across the bars when he is hot fitting a shoe.  If any of these devices help a shoer make sure a horse is naturally balanced and sound, and I have a better horse out of it, then I’m all for it.

Centaur Forge, a Farrier's Supply outfit, makes the Ruidoso Hoof Gauge, and they advertise that this product as fast and sure,.....that HG-1 Ruidoso Hoof Gauge doesn’t waste your time with false or inaccurate readings. The self-adjusting design lets you move from hoof to hoof without the usual re-calibration. Surface plate allows easy leveling of entire perimeter of foot plane, and the easy reading guide lets you “gauge-and-go” with confidence. 

Centaur Forge website

Centaur Forge - Wisconsin, 117 N. Spring Street, Burlington , WI 53105
Phone: 262-763-9175

Centaur Forge - Texas, 1367 B Industrial Drive, New Braunfels , TX 78130
Phone: 830-627-2300

Horse Hoof Care - Hoof Wraps Soaker

I came across another neat product for horse owners, especially if you own several horses and are having hoof related problems where you need to soak hoofs is Epsom salt or let a wound drain. I have had horses under a halter stand in a bucket of warm water and Epsom salts before, but this product from the people who make hoof wraps may make this chore a lot more simpler and you can place a hoof into a Hoof Wrap Soaker with whatever treatment you are using and leave the horse tied.

Hoof Wraps advertises that, "If your horse likes to fidget with buckets and soaking treatments you could be tied up for a while. Not anymore. Apply the hoof soaker, fill it with your soak of choice and get back to your chores. Hoof Wraps soakers are made with a thick shell of ballistic nylon and a coated nylon liner.

They will fit up to 6 inch diameter hoof and are secured using two straps and an additional string with a cord lock at the top. It is collapsible for easy storage. Cost for one Hoof Wrap Soaker is $34.95 and it comes with two EVA foam pads and an extra strap.

Go see Hoof Wraps Soaker and other products at www.hoofwraps.com

Hoof Problems - White Line Disease

Received this e-mail from Karen in South Carolina, My farrier told me my Trakehner has white line disease in his left front hoof and said he would have to cut out some of the hoof. He told me it is an infection that can spread and ruin the hoof. I asked him to wait until I get a Veterinarian’s opinion on it. I have only talked to my Vet over the phone, and he has not came out yet to look at it, but he did say that my farrier’s recommendation sounded about right. I could not find anything in a couple of the equine health books I own, but I did read some article on-line about it. What do you know about white line disease? Have any of your horses had it? What treatment did you do and how did your horses respond?”

Howdy Karen, there is a common perception that Veterinarians and Farriers can’t get along when discussing hoof problems. Some people may find your Vet’s suggestions that your farrier’s recommendation to “cut out the white line disease” sounded about right. That’s probably because the Vet may defer to farrier’s on most hoof related issues, and because cutting out the hoof is the most commonly accepted procedure. My shoer tells me that there is no topical treatment, such as like we have for thrush, to get rid of the bacterial or fungal infection.

Sorry about your horse having white line disease. If you have read the on-line resources about white line, I’m am sure you have found that it is called white line disease because it appears at or near the white line that separates the hoof wall and the hoof sole and is detectable by the soft, powdery hoof wall tissue. I think the jury is still out whether it’s a fungus or a bacterial infection, but it is certain that the diseased portion has to be cut out completely and left exposed to air to be able to get rid of it. I have only seen it on two horses, both diagnosed by a farrier. In both instances, the diseased part of the hoof and some of the sole was cut away. In both cases a shoe was fitted to give the hoof better stability on the affected hoof.

In one case, a lot of hoof wall was taken out, and it took about 8 months for the hoof to grow back sound. Recently this same horse came up with a smaller case of white line disease. It came back in the same hoof and since White Line Disease is most probably e hoof but you can’t help but think the horse is picking it up tha fungus he probably picked it up in the ground where he is penned up. In the second instance, the shoer again cut out the decayed hoof wall and some of the hoof sole (laminae), then fitted a shoe with clips to help protect the hoof as it is missing some of it's hoof wall.

Horse Hoof Care - Hoof Wraps

I finally found, again, the Hoof Wraps source. I have several hoof wraps and always carry on in my saddle bag. In case my horse sustains a hoof injury or bends a shoe where I have to take it off or gets puncture. I have actually never used it on my horses, but have three times used it on other horses. I’m lucky I have an excellent shoer who drives 150 miles one way to trim and shoe my horses every six weeks. I have only had one shoe ever come off with this shoer, and that was when I was loping through the desert, hit a soft spot where my horse got bogged down and over stepped clipping and bending his front left shoe.

Anyway, the Hoof Wrap is a small flat package which consists of a three layers of 2200 denier ballistic nylon and Velcro wrap with a removable, durable EVA foam pad.

Hoof Wraps bandages are guaranteed to fit most horses and stay on in the field no matter the conditions and allows your horse the freedom to stay on. Although I still use Easy Boots to treat hoofs with a cloth soaked in water and Epsom salts, the Easy Boots are too cumbersome to take on the trail where size and weight are a consideration.

The Company advertising that Hoof Wraps are a multi-use bandage – not a boot – that offers an alternative for everyday horse hoof care and saves you the time and expense of home-made bandages. Easily treat common hoof problems like horse hoof abscess, thrush and stone bruise, or use for protection after shoe loss. It’s designed specifically for horses on turn out so your horse can still enjoy the freedom of mobility during treatment.

The one size fits most system works well for most horses and the extreme grip fastening system ensures it comes back to the barn. Three layers of 2200 denier ballistic nylon and industrial stitching offer tough construction.

An EVA foam pad is included for comfort and Hoof Wraps can easily be removed, cleaned and reapplied. Use with a variety of poultice, topical solutions and medicated pads. Light weight and compact, horse hoof wraps are a great addition to your first aid kit or saddle bag.

Machine wash. One size fits horse shoe sizes 00-0-1-2 or rough diameter of 4” to 5.5”. You should have one in your saddle bag, and I suggest pre-trim the pad to fit your horse.

Click on the link to the left to order one, or click here.

Horse Hoof Care – Recognizing Laminitis

Laminitis, also called Founder, can be a horse killer. Founder/Laminitis has come to commonly mean structural hoof problems involving a separation of the hoof sole from the hoof wall or a rotation of the bones in the hoof where the bones become closer to the bottom of the hoof. Imagine the soles of your boots separating from the rest of your shoe then your bare foot is touching the ground and you’ll get the idea. Very painful to the horse, founder will make a horse lame and may also be evident from fluid or pus appearing to exit from the coronet band or from the sole of the hoof where it connects to the hoof wall. Because the horse presents a lot of its weight on the front end (the front two legs) there is a lot of pressure exerted down into the coffin bone inside the hoof. See sketches below of normal and rotated coffin bone.




The most common cause of founder is over feeding high protein feed such as alfalfa or processed feed – this is usually called grain or hay founder. More reason to secure your stall gates and otherwise protect your hay from a horse getting into it. Most horses will eat and eat until the horse either colics or founder.

Other reasons for founder may be a hot horse drinking a large amount of water (water founder) or a horse jogging or loping on a hard surface with the result being severe concussion to the hooves – called road founder.

Founder can come on fast. A horse beginning to founder will be lame and often the hoof around the coronet band will feel hot. Not much you can, except for letting the horse stand intermittently in water to cool the hooves, this reduces inflammation but you should immediately call your Vet to look at your horse. The Vet may take X-Rays to determine if there is any rotation of the coffin bone. I have been called to look at many horses who symptom wise appear to be foundering, however a recently trimmed hoof that has had too much sole removed (called quicking the hoof), or a penetration into the sole by an object such as a thorn or nail can replicate initial founder symptoms.

Usually a horse that has founder will stand with their back feet up underneath themselves to reduce the weight on the front feet in which most founder occurs at least first. A horse with all four feet foundering will lie down for an extended period of time.

A horse who has chronic founder will often have rings around the hoof, called founder rings, which document that horse’s chronic founder.

Common treatment of founder usually includes your Vet and Farrier working on concert – X-rays, anti-inflammatory drugs and corrective shoeing, plus a special feed management with a low protein diet such as grass hay only.

Horse Hoof Care – Hoof Supplements

What’s the deal on Horse Hoof Supplements? Talk to Horse Owners, Horseshoers and Veterinarians and you’ll get conflicting opinions on whether or not hoof supplements actually work.

I have been told that the lack of independent studies on Horse Supplements are due to Horse Supplement manufacturers being reluctant to fund studies on supplement effectiveness that are outside of their control. A worst case for these Supplement manufacturers would be funding a study that concludes these supplements do not work. But this reluctance does not mean supplements don’t work.

I have had two horses on Hoof Supplementation over a prolonged period.

Roy is a gelded Quarterhorse who had been ranch raised and used for arena roping. After a couple of seasons in the arena I was considering semi-retirement for him when he broke a coffin bone wing in his back right hoof. He was around 22 years old at the time. My Vet told me it would never heal and although the horse could eventually be somewhat pain free he would never again be a saddle horse. Over a 14 month period working with my horseshoer using egg bar shoes and contracting the foot slightly, and, use of Horseshoer’s Secret Hoof Supplement, Roy’s hoof was healed. X-Rays showed solid bone growth in the break and Roy is enjoying his semi-retirement. he is used as a lesson horse and for packing on short trips.

Junior is a Mexican Grade gelding, that is a horse from Mexico without known lineage. I picked him up at approximately four years old even though he appeared on have lapsed (slightly collapsed) heel bulbs on his back right hoof and very thin hoof walls. I placed him on Hoof Supplements even though there is nothing that can be down about thin hoof walls. I just wanted to give him the best chance of having the best feet possible. My shoer is always remarking about Junior’s consistent hoof growth and the hardness of his soles. What I know is that Junior is a sound horse over soft and hard ground. As an Army Range Rider, I never hestiated to take him into the remote back country. Despite his thin hoof walls he has only thrown a shoe once in the past 5 years and that was due to overstepping once when we came down a hill at a lope and stepped into some really soft sand, causing him to overstep and clip his front left shoe and pull it loose.

One of my buddies, who was finishing up his Doctorate in Ruminant Management a local University, who also has alot of experience in equine supplements as well, told me was that he was sure hoof supplementation worked to strengthen the hoof sole, although he had “no hard data” on tests. He did tell me that if I was going to put a horse on a hoof supplement to ensure that the product contained certain ingredients. Those were primarily Biotin, Methionine, Calcium, Protein, and Lysine.

We know that whatever the horse eats goes straight to his feet. If you just picked up a horse that did not get good, consistent feed, maybe evident from uneven hoof growth visible through rings around the outside hoof wall growing down from the coronet band, then you may want to consider putting that horse on Hoof Supplements. If you do, then you need to consider the fact that it takes around nine to twelve months to grow a totally new foot.

My bottom line is I think Horse Hoof Supplements can provide nutrition necessary for optimum hoof health. I don’t think they can fix conformation problems with bad feet.

Horse Hoof Care - Protective Hoof Boots

One of the pieces of equipment that a Horse Owner should have on hand for Horse Hoof Care is a Protective Boot for the Hoof. The protective boot is sometimes referred to as an “Easy Boot” although this is really one brand type of protective hoof boot.

Typically the uses for these Protective Hoof boots are to protect a sensitive hoof, allow for a hoof injury to be treated and kept clean or for use when soaking the hoof with Epson salts, used to give the horse traction on shoe and ice, or, used on the trail when a horse pulls a shoe or is barefoot (un-shod) and is moving in really rocky terrain.

I divide these Protective Hoof Boots in two categories: One boot that you keep around the barn for use when treating injured or protecting sensitive hooves, and, a smaller, lighter and/or more compact boot that you carry on the trail in your saddlebags for use when a horse throws a shoe or otherwise needs the protection.

There are many different types and manufacturers of the first kind of Protective Hoof Boots. I am only going to show you one kind, which is the original EasyCare Easy Boot, because it is the basic Hoof Protective Boot and is reasonable priced, at approximately $42, so most Horse Owners can afford it. There are many other Protective Boots, some with additional features such as Velcro boots that go around the pastern for extra security.

The EasyCare Easy Boot is a very durable Urethane boot with a tension wire tightening device on front (where the toe of the hoof is). They are sized for the horse’s hoof so you have to have the right size. I find that if I use one size bigger and cut a small slit in the back of the Easy Boot, I can get them on the horse much easier. If I am using them to treat a injured hoof, such as in a puncture wound or using these boots in conjunction with gauze soaked in Epson salts to draw out an infection, I also use regular duct tape to wrap around the top of the EasyBoot and the horse's hoof and coronet band area for added security and to prevent dirt and debris from getting down into the boot.

EasyBoots are available from Horse.com http://www.horse.com/
I have been using Horse.com, formerly known as Country Supply, for many years now for much of my Horse Equipment and Supplement needs.

Another Hoof Protective Device that is lightweight and suitable for carrying into the back country in your saddle bags is called a Hoof Wrap. These are not advertised as boots but rather as Hoof Bandages, however I carry one in each of my saddlebags for use as an emergency boot on the trail. Using ballistic nylon and heavy duty stitching, the Hoof Wrap is well constructed and tough enough for repeated use. At approximately $20 they are inexpensive enough not to have one. Available from Hoof Wraps at http://www.hoofwraps.com/

See video below to watch me put on an EasyBoot and a Hoof Wrap on one of my horses.

Horse Hoof Care – Foreign Objects in the Hoof

I said in a previous post that sometimes I do not always clean out my horses’ hooves before riding them. I still check the hoof to ensure there is no foreign object in the hoof that has or can cause damage and lame the horse up and to ensure that if that horse is shod (has horseshoes) that they are still on securely.

From time to time when on the trail, especially in the Mountainous or rocky areas, your horse will pickup a rock wedged in the cleft of the frog or may get a sharp object, such as a mesquite thorn or even a nail, stuck into the frog or sole.

Rocks stuck in the hoof, upon repeated hoof strikes on the ground, can cause a bruise to the sole making the horse ouchy or even lame him up with a severe bruise – which we call stone bruises.

I ride mainly in desert areas with a high amount of spiny plant such as various cactus and mesquite bushes - lots of possibilities to get spines into Horse Hooves. Penetrations into hoof soles or frogs is much more serious than a stone bruise as an infection can set in. Sometimes the object breaks off, the sole or frog closes over penetration site and you never know that it occurred. Then suddenly your horse is lame for a few days to a month or even more. You can’t figure it out and weeks or months go by then the object comes out near the coronet band (where the beginnings of the hoof meet the hair on the leg).

Sometimes your shoer will see evidence of a penetration and can dig it out allow the infection to be exposed and you can draw it out using Epson Salts. Best way to use Epson Salts if your horse won’t stand in a bucket of water and Epson Salts is to pack a dripping wet poultice with Epson Salts and place on the hoof covering with a hoof boot.

When on horse back you can usually feel a change in the horse’s gait, clueing you to a possible object stuck in the hoof.

The top picture shows a small rock lodged into the Cleft of the Frog. Sometimes if you are riding in pairs, your partner can look at the hoof of your horse as it comes off the ground to see if it picked up a rock or other object.

The middle picture is a large rock my horse picked up when I was patrolling some mountains looking for poachers. I had to use my knife and another flat rock to act as pry bars to get this rock out as it was lodged very tightly between the inside bars of the shoe. I immediately felt this so my horse did not progress in this condition.

The bottom picture shows a mesquite thorn penetrating the frog. It didn’t penetrate very far and I was able to remove it intact and continue my ride.

Horse Hoof Care –Recognizing and Treating Thrush

The normal Horse has four hooves (that’s supposed to be humor). A Horse’s hooves, sometimes we call them feet, are at the same time both durable and susceptible to problems. Horseshoers have a saying that is timeless in its truth: “No Hoof, No Horse”. Horse owners must regularly look at their horse’s feet to keep on top of problems. One of the most common problems is Thrush, or to be more correct a “bacterial caused pre-thrush condition”, as real Thrush is mostly due to neglecting your horses feet over time.

Thrush is a common bacterial infection, normally affecting the Frog and the Cleft of the Frog which is the groove between the Frog and the Sole. Bacteria will grow in a damp or wet conditions, with damp or bacteria laden manure or dirt constantly packed into the hoof, this is a condition many horses get. Even in dry conditions a horse will step on manure which gets packed into the Cleft of the Frog and basically starts to rot. If left untreated the bacteria will grow into Thrush.

When picking out the hoof, bacteria will be noticeable by the nasty odor and may appear black…..smells much worse than your Grandpa’s spit can sitting in the Sun. Bacteria will turn good Frog and Sole in a powdery like substance and easily break off parts of the hoof sole and pieces of the frog.














Treatment includes prevention with regular Hoof Care by cleaning (picking the hoof) paying particular attention to cleaning out the Clefts of the Frog. Some of us don’t bother to clean the hoof prior to riding as the material (dirt and manure) packed into the sole acts as a natural cushion for the hoof, however bacteria needs an oxygen deficient environment to grow. Cleaning the hoof is and exposing the bacteria in the hoof to oxygen, then riding, often clears it up.

Commercial Thrush treatment medicine like Koppertox or a home remedy such as 50% diluted bleach will make short work of most Thrush cases. Sometimes it is necessary only to treat once. In fact, I don’t think I have ever had to treat a hoof with bacteria more than once.

Horse Hoof Care – The Basics: Choosing and Keeping a Good Horseshoer/Farrier

Finding and keeping a good Horseshoer/Farrier is essential to having sound horses to ride. There seems to be a lot more part time horseshoers than full time horseshoers available. Full time Farriers will usually maintain and keep a regular schedule where you can be assured he/she will show up on time and trim or shoe your horses. Some part time Farriers have to work around their day job schedules and other commitments where it becomes frustrating to get your horses trimmed or shoed when necessary.

For Unshod Horses, or horses that are not going to have horseshoes nailed on, I am often asked “how often is it necessary to get my horse’s feet trimmed?” That depends upon a lot of factors such as what time of year it is, as cold weather generally slows down hoof growth. Another factor is if the Farrier is trying to correct a previous problem which is usually caused by lack of consistent Farrier care. Generally a horse needs to have his hooves trimmed every six to eight weeks in order to best maintain healthy feet and keep on top of potential problems.

I would look for a Farrier that is experienced and probably belongs to a professional organization such as the American Farriers Association (in fact you can get Farrier contacts through the AFA website: http://www.americanfarriers.org). It is important that your Farrier continues his/her education through professional clinics and such, and it is very important that your Farrier that is a good hand with horses although it is the horse owner’s responsibility to make the horse safe for the Horseshoer. You won’t keep a Farrier very long if that horse is not gentled enough to handle the feet. You shouldn’t keep a Farrier that is rough with your horses or punishes them as opposed to correcting them (Yes Matilda there is a difference).

You will want to be able to discuss your horse’s feet. Knowing the anatomy of the feet is a start. The basic parts of a Horse’s hoof are shown in the below pictures.