Thrush isn't difficult to cure in a horse, but left untreated, it can have some nasty side-effects. Prompt treatment is key for a sound equine.
Most cases of thrush in horse hooves will clear up without any treatment at all, as long as the horse is confined to a dry area with sufficient ventilation. This is because the bacteria or fungus that causes thrush doesn’t survive in the presence of oxygen, which means that a clean, dry hoof will take care of itself.
Unfortunately, however, it is almost always necessary to treat your horse for thrush because animals aren’t normally confined to a specific area. When turned out, they can stand in puddles or urine, and clumps of dirt can allow the thrush to thrive. Hoof care and maintenance is important, but so is proactive treatment.
Detecting Thrush
A strong, unpleasant odor is the most obvious sign that your horse is suffering from thrush, though a white powdery substance around the frog is also a good indicator. If your horse has been infected for several weeks, he might also develop a subtle lameness, which can eventually escalate into something more serious.
Preventing Thrush
It is almost impossible to prevent thrush entirely, especially if your horse has a deep frog or soft hooves. However, you can reduce the risk of him developing thrush by picking his hooves at least once a day and ensuring that his paddock and stall are cleaned thoroughly. If your horse wears shoes, make sure to pick out the area where the shoe meets the hoof, as this is a common place for thrush to develop.
Treating Thrush
Once your horse develops thrush, you can easily treat it with home-made or over-the-counter medicines. Thrush Buster is one of the best products on the market, though like many fungicides, it is purple and will stain anything it comes in contact with. Most of the OTC products come in squirt bottles, and a small amount applied once a day will be sufficient to get rid of the thrush.
Cherry Hill of HorseKeeping.com, on the other hand, suggests homemade recipes for treating your horse for thrush. She recommends Sugardine, and says: “To make sugardine, mix a povidone-iodine product - such as Betadine scrub, solution, or ointment - with white table sugar to form a thin paste. Generic povidone-iodine is often half the price of Betadine and is basically the same product.”
Applying Thrust Treatments
Treating your horse for thrush isn’t difficult as long as he is willing to stand still while you handle each infected hoof. Simply clean the hoof completely with a hoof pick and brush, then liberally apply the thrush treatment to both sides of the frog and to the area around your horse’s shoe. It shouldn’t take longer than seven straight days of treatment to clear up the infection.
