please tell me how you treat thrush/suspected thrush in a horse that lives out.

[mightymammoth]

Please can you tell me how you treat thrush or suspected thrush. My horse lives out 24/7 so am wondering how I would treat for thrush?

I've come across red horse products that look good but surely if you paint potions on the sole as soon as they step through mud or a puddle etc it's all washed off?

Any suggestions appreciated

 

[rockysmum]

Not sure about the living out bit, but I have fought thrush on my oldie for years. Every remedy in the book at some time, the best I did was keep it under control.

I put it down to old age.

Its now completely cured. I had his shoes removed last year as I didn't expect to ride him again. One of the side effects is that his feet have spread out, dont have the deep clefts and the thrush is gone.

 

[mightymammoth]

thanks, his back shoes are off and they are the ones I am worried about. His back shoes have only been off for a few weeks and after a couple of abscesses am just trying to keep on top of things.

 

[mystiandsunny]

Never really had it in horses living out - seems to be more a stabled horse thing to get. But things that fix it:
- picking out hooves every time you're down, on arrival and when you leave.
- Tea Tree spray (amazing stuff, clears it up asap and isn't harsh on the healthy tissues so no dead stuff for it to live in even more)
- Getting farrier to check for any flaps of frog it can hide under

 

[Footlights]

My horse had it last winter when he was living out even though I religiously picked his feet out every day. Some may not agree with it but I did soak his feet in diluted hydrogen peroxide. Once the thrush started to clear up I sprayed Stockholm tar on his frogs and soles every day which kept it at bay until the weather improved.

 

[doonrocket]

Tectin

 

[abitodd]

I have been using Red Horse products.
My horses live out,but I bring them in daily for feeding supps and for a general and foot check.
1st line of attack is to scrub the feet(having picked them out) using a nail brush. Then allow to dry(I have used cider vinegar dilution+tea tree at this stage,syringed into the pockets) Then apply Red horse field paste. Again allow to dry. For deep stubborn crevices I use Red horse Hoof stuff.
Repeat daily for up to a month. Then stick to stage 1 and ease off on the other stages.(Get your nose on the feet and if you smell a hint of thrush again go back to rigorous treatment.)

I am going to get some of this. http://www.ntdry.co.uk/ to see if it matches Red horse products. Thrush can be very stubborn to shift,so the more tools you have the better.

 

[cheeryplatypus]

I used hydrogen peroxide from the chemist, it's for wound cleaning and bubbles up when you get it in the right area. I had a small syringe for giving babies medicine to put it on with so I could get right of the depths and clefts of the frog. My farrier now keeps the frogs tidy and no new lefts have developed.

The peroxide shouldn't be used long term but worked in a week on my lad, just squooshed it twice a day after picking out feet.

 

[Shutterbug]

Arion had thrush a few years ago and farrier recommended picking feet out as often as possible, cleaning once with hibiscrub and then spraying with purple spray twice a day. Cleared it up a treat in about a week and he was out every day but stabled at night.

 

[mightymammoth]

thanks for the comments so far, I pick his feet out everyday and check them thoroughly, but may invest in a red horse type product for prevention.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Another vote for tea-tree oil - wonderful stuff!

 

[Tinypony]

I've battled a bit of thrush this year, probably because of the weather.
For maintenance - Keep the trim on the hooves good to avoid a deep cleft beside the frog. Pick the feet out every day. Use Silverfeet every week or so as a precaution. If there start to be signs of thrush use Silvetrasol spray, followed by Silverfeet. (I use Silverfeet because it's greasy and so seems to stick about on the foot long enough to do some good, and it's cheap).
Peroxide nectrotises tissue so personally I'd avoid that.
I don't wash or scrub out the feet regularly because they live in a field. I might drag a thrushy horse out once a week or so for an additional good clean up of the feet, at which point would probably just use Red Horse Sole Cleanse after scrubbing off with water.
For persistent thrush I'd add Artimud, which is also good for packing any infection that appears in the white line. Having said that, touch wood Silverfeet seems to be doing the same job but cheaper.

 

[Bojingles]

Another vote for Red Horse Field Paste. For horses that live out I think it's unbeatable.

 

[Feebee-Friesian]

This website is great for hoof products.
http://www.equinepodiatrysupplies.co.uk/Hoof-Treatments

 

[leflynn]

Another vote for silverfeet, mine had a touch of thrush while he was on box rest and it's cleared up quickly thankfully

 

[LJN]

Another vote for Silverfeet from me - cleared up my boys feet quickly, and really good at keeping the hooves in good nick.

 

[silverbreeze]

I always use hydrogen peroxide if they start with thrush, it has the added benefit of being cheap!! It's not a maintenance thing though, I use anti-bac on my mare with deep clefts and it's brilliant stuff

 

[MissMistletoe]

I use diluted Milton in a spray bottle and spray on problem areas every day until it clears.