Frog in hoof coming off - help?

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Glooc

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Hi everyone,
My horse is currently turned out 24/7 for the summer. It's been a very dry summer but we've had a little rain recently. The dryness has led to his hooves needing extra moisture (I use Kevin bacon hoof dressing inside and out) but I'm noticing now that the inside of his hoof is coming away - when I pick his feet out the wall of his hoof is coming off and bits of his frog are starting to come away in chunks. I haven't had him long and I'm told he's prone to thrush in the winter so I've started spraying with an antibacterial/antibiotic blue spray... but it doesn't look/smell Iike thrush to me - not black or smelly - and with all the dry weather it seems an odd time to be developing thrush. Any ideas what might be going on or what I could do differently? Would love to nip this in the bud!
 
It's normal for them to shed frog. And the dry weather this year has led to retained sole that would have worn off gradually coming off in chunks instead. There's nothing to worry about.
 
ycbm may well be right - but the old adage "no foot no horse" holds good. I'd ask your farrier to check at the next shoeing / trimming.
 
Oh great thanks everyone this is reassuring! Farrier due in a week
Or so and can double check but glad to know this is normal. No need to spray with antibacterial/fungal sprays then?
 
SEL said:
We've been de-frogging in huge chunks this week. Most of the Ardennes' sole peeled off with the hoof pick. It's grim!
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Yes this is what mines feet are like - it's grim but you reckon not unusual or harmful? Ive been avoiding the loose bits of frog because I'm worried it will make him sore if they come off but you think it's ok?
 
My farrier removed so much false sole from B's feet when he shod him last he had to re trim him three times. DP who is barefoot is also shedding chunks of frog. It is perfectly normal given the weather conditions we have had, just make sure you don't pull anything off unless it's ready to or it can make them sore.
 
Glooc said:
Yes this is what mines feet are like - it's grim but you reckon not unusual or harmful? Ive been avoiding the loose bits of frog because I'm worried it will make him sore if they come off but you think it's ok?
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pull the loose bits back and have a look underneath. Is it nice and clean and not smelly, if so leave the old frog to protect the new frog. If it is smelly etc then peel the old frog back and give the new frog a spray, coat of iodine or whatever you use and then put the old frog back again. It will be fine
 
Quite pleased to see this, even though my logic told me it was nothing to worry about - my 8YO cob type was 2 weeks overdue for shoeing (absolutely unheard of with my amazing farrier, long story!) and as soon as it started to rain he started to have loads of white disintegrating frog - no smell, looked clean and healthy. Farrier came out this week and shod him, took quite a lot of hoof off and said it was all fine just the change in weather :)
 
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