Frog Health - please help

[leanne1988]

Hi all,

my mares left hind frog tissue seems to be torn, ragged, at the heel (top of the 'V'). i can put my finger underneath it slightly, but only about 1/2 inch. Ive been doing my research & the symptoms seem to indicate thrush, however, there is no foul smell, no soreness, or any sign that indiate it is eating away and she is not lame in the slightest, nor does she react when i prod about. could she just be shedding old tissue? someone told me this is very normal?? All of her other frogs are perfectly fine.

 

[TheFarrier]

Frogs shed year round. you often dont see it. If its not black or smelly its unlikely to be thrush.

Its nothing to worry about it is very normal happens to every horse

 

[DuckToller]

Daughter's horse has 4 frogs like this and the farrier trims them up every time. They look alright for a few weeks then get worse.

Our horse has very upright boxy feet so the frogs don't come into contact with the ground and so tend to shrivel up and get a bit manky, just as you describe. Hopefully yours is just shedding tissue, as you say, but if she has boxy upright feet, she may be predisposed to it in which case your farrier will be on the case I hope!

 

[KrujaaLass]

I'm glad someone posted about this. I noticed my horse heel was split. Next day it had seemed to peel off(like an orange). It was like the frog tissue. Is the heel skin a continuation of the frog and is this normal. Farrier out this week so he can check for me but I was just curious.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Oh rats! Thought this was going to be about keeping little green hoppy things well {snigger}.

 

[Cahill]

frogs repair and grow much quicker than you would imagine.

one of mine had thrush and my farrier pared quite a lot away.within a month the frog was looking full healthy again.

 

[alliekate]

Oooo first post !!

I bought my boy three months ago, and his feet were awful, complete with rampant thrush (he's a baby straight from the field)...

My farrier trimmed the frog down, and I sprayed on purple spray (farm stuff) every day, and it healed up very quickly. I now use eucalyptus oil just to help keep it away.

Hope that helps. Allie

 

[Theresa_F]

The clydesdales get huge frogs which shed and go down to nothing and then regrow twice a year - as they change coats.

Stinky has very neat frogs and nice and wide - never worn shoes and they do get odd bits coming loose which I pull or trim back between farrier visits.

Some heavy horses have very deep clefts so I do freshen mine up with salt water and eculpytus oil or stockholm tar in winter to keep them healthy from time to time.

You can also use this which is excellent

http://www.red-horse.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=70

 

[scotia2k7]

Hello! If there is no yukky smell, & all other feet are fine Id say its not an issue. The weather has been awful, snow, slush & all sorts - she might simply rest that foot more than others while grazing, - therefore its in the yuk longer. Check with your farrier but I doubt its anything to worry about.

scotia