smelly hoof

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cellie

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My horse is on box rest for four weeks after surgery.He is in a stable with straw during the day and shavings at night .Both stables have areas with concrete so he can stand in absolute dry conditions.I think he might have the start of thrush.I have treated it with hibiscrub and disinfectant spray plus voilet spray.His shoes were taken off for surgery but one foot is getting rather smelly.I was going to keep him barefoot as he isnt doing any work but I am wondering if he might be better having shoes on to protect his frog.He can go out in another two weeks will this make the infection worse if there is one.
 
Don't keep using strong thrush disinfectants, as it kills off healthy tissue too, and it ends up in a cycle of giving something for the thrush to feed on. If you use strong remedies only use them for a very short time.

Go down to Boots and buy some Borax from the household section. Get a 5 litre container and dissolve 2 good tablespoons of borax (it is a white powder) in 5 litres of warm water. Give it a good shake.

Find a spray container (but be careful what was in it before) and every day after picking out the hooves give them a good spray of this borax solution, shake it up first to mix.

This is not a strong solution so it does not harm the horse's hoof, but it does not allow the thrush spores to grow. I have cured quite a severe thrush attack with this. It doesn't happen overnight, but it should work. When the smell has gone only spray 2-3 times a week. You can also use the baby cream Sudocream. I haven't had as much success with this, but some people swear by it. It is quite useful to push into the nooks and cranies of the frog.

I think that Borax has a slight hoof hardening effect. This hasn't be proven experiementally, but I seem to have found it so.
 
Thanks for that info.I should have worded it better but Im not actually using disinfectant it has the same properties as hibiscrub but goes on like as foam.Ill by the borax tommorrow if it hardens the hoof thats great for him too.
 
Sounds like you will have it sorted out in no time
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Good luck
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Tess my coloured cob, used to regularly get thrush as she has really deep crevices at the side of her frog, but i have found that since she has had her shoes off hers has been much better.

I always use hydrogen peroxide bought from the chemist on her feet when she has thrush. I dilute it and put it into a spray bottle and it usually only takes a couple of days of putting it on and she is all cleared up.
 
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