Horse Thrush

Thrush is the number one hoof problem that horses have. Thrush is a type of hoof rot but not the only type. Practically all horses get thrush at one point or another. Thrush is caused by anaerobic bacteria that attack the frog of the foot and the sides of the frog. 

So how does a horse get thrush? It’s simple, really. Standing for long periods of time in dirty, wet, or bacteria infected surroundings gives a horse thrush. So if you don’t clean the horse’s stall and the horse stands for days in urine soaked bedding, that horse can get thrush from standing in that bedding.

If it’s the rainy season and the pasture is flooded and the horse stands for hours in the mud and rain then the horse can get thrush.  Anytime your horse is standing for long periods of time in a wet, dirty environment, thrush can creep in.

If your horse has thrush you will notice thick black crud in and around the frog of the horse’s hooves when you’re cleaning the hooves and you will definitely smell it. Thrush smells like decay, because that’s really what it is. The bacteria are eating away at the flesh of the foot in the frog and around the frog.

If your horse has thrush you should start treating it right away. Left untreated, thrush can cause serious hoof damage and even permanent lameness.  What can you do to treat thrush? There is a two pronged approach that you need to take when you’re treating thrush.

First, clean the horse’s stall. Make absolutely sure that the bedding in the stall and the floor underneath are clean and dry. For a few days clean the stall out twice a day to make sure that the stall stays dry and clean. Confine the horse to the barn if possible. If your horse is kept in a pasture, move the horse to another pasture that is drier or block off the wet end of the pasture.  You need to make sure that the horse won’t be standing in any muck until the thrush is cured.

Then you can address the problem of the actual thrush. Take a stiff wire hoof brush and brush out the hoof. Get as much of the black thrush out of the frog as you can. Then use Betadine or an iodine solution to wash out the hoof. Wash the entire hoof with the solution and paint it on the outside of the hooves as well. 

You can also use household bleach or hydrogen peroxide to wash out the hoof but most vets recommend using Betadine or an iodine solution so that you don’t damage any of the frog tissue while you are killing the thrush.  Wash out the horses hooves at least three times a day for three to five days and the thrush should start to clear up. If it doesn’t then you should call your blacksmith. If the thrush is very severe the blacksmith may need to trim out the thrush infected areas of the hooves.