Thrush is a condition that occurs when the frogs of your horses feet become infected and the clefts either side of the frog accumulate a black, foul smelling material. Thrush can be a nightmare for some horse owners, who no matter what they do, seem to have a year round problem battling the condition.
It can be particularly hard to combat at muddier times of year, such as winter, where your horse is going to be subjected to more muddy conditions than they would have in the drier months.
It’s also thought that some horses can be more prone to thrush than others and often breed, diet and lifestyle can play a part in keeping your horses feet thrush free. Ensuring hooves are properly picked out, as often as possible is key to allowing air to get to the hooves. Prolonged time spent in foul bedding or in deep mud can also play a part in the development of the condition. Severe cases of thrush can even leave your horse or pony lame, especially if the condition goes untreated for some time, this can result in the infection spreading to the sensitive tissues of the hoof.
Firstly, make sure that your horses living conditions are as clean as possible and secondly, make sure you are up to date with your farrier or trimmer visits and that your horse is regularly trimmed of all dead or infected tissue.
Secondly, ensure you have a stash of products in your tack room which will help eradicate any bacterial infection. Topically applying an antibacterial hoof spray such as The Alchemist’s Garden Hoof Spray will will help to kill off any bacterial infection that is present. Simply clean the hoof and apply the spray liberally to affected areas and scrub with a clean brush. We recommend you leave this to soak into your horses foot for 3-5 minutes. After this has had time to soak in properly, we recommend applying The Alchemist’s Garden Hoof Clay to deep areas which are affected by thrush (such as the frog). This thrush-busting hoof clay is rich in Tea Tree Oil and Lavender Oil which are both known for their antibacterial, antiseptic and antimicrobial properties
