Super-hairy cob and thrush - advice?

[dogcalleddill]

Hello all, I know the thrush thing has been done before but I'd really appreciate some advice as to whether I'm doing the right thing.

I bought the hairiest cob in the world in December, she was vetted and the only things that came up were feather mites and thrush in a couple of her frogs. The mites were cleared up with the jab but the thrush remains...

Am I doing the right thing or should I be doing something differently? She's only a baby and has lived out, therefore unused to having her feet picked up. I've got past battles to the stage where I firstly go round and gently pick them out, wipe the frogs, then go round a second time with the purple spray.

I think she's senstive as she's a) unused to having her feet picked up, b) esp with thrush and feather mites (now gone).

I'm torn between curing the thrush, and not making picking her feet up a big issue. She has a lovely temperament and is extremely amenable but she clearly has a bit of an issue with this, and she has a fair bit of weight to throw around

So my main questions are: any better ideas for thrush? How can I not traumatise her with picking her feet?

Thanks for reading x

 

[Piaffe63]

I've always been shown to treat Thrush with hydrogen peroxide. You just put a drop onto the hoof and it slightly fizzes on the hoof if there is thrush. It doesn't make a noise, so shouldn't frighten her or anything, and I don't think it stings (mine didn't bat an eyelid) Hope that was helpful at all!

 

[Bikerchickone]

I've just been advised to use Red Horse Field Paste for thrush in my hairy cob. It's made with clay and supposed to be designed for horses living in the field who don't get their feet picked out regularly. I've been told to wash feet thoroughly and then apply the stuff with a glove. It's not cheap, about £20 for the pot inc VAT and delivery but is supposed to be really good.

 

[Sparkles]

Hydrogen peroxide all the way also.

 

[Django Pony]

I've had great success with NetTex Frog Health spray in both treating and preventing thrush with my cob. Highly recommended. http://www.net-tex.co.uk/product_page.cfm?pid=236&men=3

 

[dogcalleddill]

Thank you all very much for your replies - much appreciated. Should I patch-test hydrogen peroxide? And where can I get it?

Also, I've been planning to reduce (ahem, get rid of) her feathers, as they're so long and ringletty that they're trapping the moisture in her heels, which are also quite low. As beautiful as she is, I'm not planning to show her, simply because I want to hack and have fun with her. So... the feathers go and the lustrous mane remains. Controversial, I know. Anyone got pics of half-and-half cobs?

Thank you again for your advice

 

[HappyNeds]

My super hairy cob also suffers from bad thrush in his backs, we've not really got on top of it properly since we've had him.

I'm currently using Net Tex Hoof Health every day, and it was improving noticably and I was very pleased with it (and bought several bottles!), but the last couple of weeks nothing seems to be changing.

I'm wondering if I should switch and try a different product, as I had read somewhere that thrust can be caused by a variety of bacteria, so sometimes using different products can kill different types. A couple of posts here mention hydrogen peroxide, where can I buy this from? And do I spray it, or brush it on?

Thanks - and sorry to crash in the post! xx

 

[Django Pony]

Also, I've been planning to reduce (ahem, get rid of) her feathers, as they're so long and ringletty that they're trapping the moisture in her heels, which are also quite low. As beautiful as she is, I'm not planning to show her, simply because I want to hack and have fun with her. So... the feathers go and the lustrous mane remains. Controversial, I know. Anyone got pics of half-and-half cobs?

Thank you again for your advice

Here's my half and half boy!! lol

 

[dogcalleddill]

Crash away - the more advice we can get the merrier

 

[dogcalleddill]

Oh JustJasper, he's beautiful!! Which classes do you show him in? x

 

[Django Pony]

Oh JustJasper, he's beautiful!! Which classes do you show him in? x

Thanks I've done coloured classes and driving type, but we didn't get placed I guess the "half and half" look isn't big in the showing world, but hey, we had a fun day out!

 

[Piglet]

My horse gets thrush almost all year round, a friend of mine advised me to use a mixture of Jeyes Fluid and water, either tub it or get a jug, lift foot up and pour mixture over the frog (obviously avoiding getting any on the heel). Farrier comes every 6 weeks to shoe and cut the old frog away so that the air can get to it, the frog was actually starting to separate. Also another farrier recommended pouring salt into the clean frog, even though my horse is stabled on a clean bed every night it seems to be a re-occurring problem

 

[meandmrblue]

My hairy cob has had thrush.tried all the usual products also spray from vets nothing seemed to work.his thrush is now sorted by using a product called silver feet from my local tack shop.

 

[Bikerchickone]

I don't want to put a dampner on everyone here who uses hydrogen peroxide and has it work for them, but I've been told not to use it because it'll kill healthy tissue as well as dealing with the bad things living in there. I used it myelf for a long time with good results but have just been advised not to. For those of you who still want to try it however you can but it OTC from a chemists and I used to mix it with water (depending on what concentration it was) and then use a syringe to direct it into the frog or difficult to reach areas.

Not saying I know better than anyone else, but just wanted to pass on the information.

 

[Django Pony]

I used hydrogen peroxide, and it did work, but it's so much faff syringing it in and holding the foot up while it fizzes and works, I found the Nettex spray much easier and much less faff! As the OP's horse is a baby she may find it easier?

 

[Cocorules]

Bikerchickone I had heard the same

JustJasper your horse is stunning

 

[Theresa_F]

I have found the red horse products very good and i also make up salt water and eculyptus oil and also will paint the clefts with the neat oil which clears up the thrush in a few days.

Heavy horses are prone to smelly feet and salt water and the oil used a couple of times a week does the trick. You can also use stockholm tar once the thrush is dealt with to help stop it coming back or if you hate using the stuff, gold label do a tar spray. If I can't be bothered to make up my own mix I keep a can of this and spray my hairies feet once a week as a preventative.

I personally hate the half and half look - but I love seeing my gypsy cob and clydesdale in full hairy glory.

If you oil up the feather in winter this stops the problem of mites and cracked heels especially if you add sulphur.

Do make sure there is no reaction to pig oil and sulphur first.

 

[LCH611]

my vet gave me a product called Golden Hoof which seems to do the trick (you can get it from Agricultural merchants). I also use the sheep foot rot spray. I think you will just have to persist getting her used to having her feet done in case you get an abcess or something that needs major treatment as it is a real PITA if you can't deal with it properly.

Does frontline work for mites?

 

[Piglet]

I have found the red horse products very good and i also make up salt water and eculyptus oil and also will paint the clefts with the neat oil which clears up the thrush in a few days.

Heavy horses are prone to smelly feet and salt water and the oil used a couple of times a week does the trick. You can also use stockholm tar once the thrush is dealt with to help stop it coming back or if you hate using the stuff, gold label do a tar spray. If I can't be bothered to make up my own mix I keep a can of this and spray my hairies feet once a week as a preventative.

That's what I like about this site !! Fantastic advice from other people, I will definitely try the eculyptus oil and also the Gold Label stuff, I am prepared to try anything that will keep the thrush at bay.

Re the feathers (which my horse doesn't have), we used to have a Fell pony who was kept true to type with feather and every evening over the winter, she used to come into the yard, we would brush and comb her feathers out, give the heels a good scrub with a plastic curry comb and when the feathers were dry and clean, spray a load of NetTex 7 day Mud Away. She never had a problem with mites or itchy heels.

 

[diamondrockharvey]

I scrub my hairy cob's feet once a week with a Milton baby steriliser solution and a nail brush and then put sudocrem on the frogs. This keep thrush at bay!!

 

[diamondrockharvey]

Can also vouch for Pig Oil and Sulphur (for feathers not thrush) - wouldn't be without it!

 

[jojo5]

Hi all - guess we have all been on here before talking about feathers, mites, mud, thrush etc etc. All the above advice is great plus....
I dont take my boy's feathers off now - I have tried this in the past when he was much younger and we were regularly showing (hogged as well), but this did not prevent 'sore bits' and nowadays with full feathers, when the weather is wet and muddy you can look beneath the top layer of feather/mud, and see perfectly white, dry hair and skin. He has the jab for mites, and I have also recently bought some Feathermite powder to keep as an instant thing for when the jab 'runs out'. I have also used Seven Day Mud Away in the past, and it works, but so does baby oil and it works out much cheaper. For thrush, another option is iodine, which you can get from the chemist or buy in a spray from tack shops.
oh, and nowadays we show with feathers and without a mane, which would probably be frowned upon in posh circles but is fine at our level! (tho I says it as shouldn't, we do win!!! LOL)

 

[Pidgeon]

For Thrush I used to use Pevidine *sp scrub - stronger than hibiscrub and would make a bucketful weekly, a couple of times a week and then twice a week use a sheet foot rot spray also from the vets. This cured it totally as my old horse suffered even in the height of summer due to his foot shape! I used to pick the feet out and then brush clean and then apply. Good luck.

 

[HuntingFiona]

Hi

I have a dales x and also take her feathers off, I find its the only way to
keep an eye on her legs, but love to keep her mane long

 

[dogcalleddill]

Thanks everyone for all the advice!

Unfortunately I think scrubbing is out of the question at the mo - I'm sure she wouldn't tolerate it so I'm going to have to build up to it gradually.

I've ordered some Frog Health and some Silverfoot so I'll see how I get on with them.

If I can work out how to post a picture I'll post one of the hairy madam herself

 

[dogcalleddill]

Here she is in all her feathered glory...

And this one prompted my friend to describe her as "a bit emo"

 

[guesstimation]

I like red horse products my old mare had horrendous thrush and it was this that finally sorted it. I would hibiscrub every few days then spray foot cleanse on and add field paste, when it got a bit better I just sprayed cleanse every other day and field paste once a week until finally was down to just using the field paste. The problem I had with anything stronger was that it works temporarily but it kills off good cells too making it far easier for reinfection to occur, although red horse products felt a longer process to a result it was a more long term result so worth it!

 

[HappyNeds]

She is beautiful - I do like them hairy!

 

[eatmoremincepies]

Have used peroxide and various other things in the past, but the Red Horse stuff is excellent and IMHO would be best for your situation.

The Field Paste is meant for youngstock who don't get their feet picked out often so is ideal for a horse that is just learning to pick feet up. I would pick out each foot as well as you can (in short bursts, try to put foot down before she wants to do it herself). Then make sure foot is dry and squidge in Field Paste all round the frog as quick as you can with your fingers.

You then won't "need" to fully pick out her feet for about a week (obviously it is best practise to pick out more often, but your priorities with this horse are getting on top of the thrush and training her that foot picking is easy/good). So you can get on with training, without the "have-to" factor.

It's great stuff and has cleared up thrush faster than anything else I have ever seen. Also a little goes a long way so its economical in the long run.

 

[HappyNeds]

I just wanted to add my latest experience to the thread, as I said in my earlier post in this thread my super-hairy-cob has very bad thrush in his backs (still bad from when we've had him). He lives out 24/7, but we bring him onto the concrete at least once a day to pick his feet out, stand him in a bucket and wash out the damaged frog, dry it and apply whatever treatment we are trying that month (believe me, we've tried a few over the last 10 months).

Should also say that you can tell he's in pain from the thrush in this back feet, bless him, because when we bring him onto the hard surface to clean his feet he always keeps one back foot tilted when he stands (he keeps swopping over which back foot is tilted) and he hates lifting his front feet becuase it means he has to put weight onto his backs. You have to really pull l his front foot, whilst leaning into his shoulder to force his front leg up.

On Wednesday this week, I went to the chemist and bought Hydrogen Peroxide for .75p, picked, washed and dryed his back feet as usual, and poured from the bottle into the deep damaged frogs at the back. Didn't use it on his fronts (currently using Net-tex Frog Health). Did the same Thursday, but amazingly(!!!!) yesterday and today when I went to pick up his front foot he just lifted them for me without me applying any pressure. I couldn't believe it! I know it doesn't sound very exciting, but compared to how hard it was to get his front foot up before (sometime I would have to ask strong-OH to pull up his front foot for me) becuase his backs were in pain, and now he just lifts them up. It shows how comfortable his backs must be feeling already. Can't believe how quickly this hydrogen peroxide stuff has worked.

I had been told not only does it kill the bacteria, but it also hardens the sensitive frogs, and that must be the case for my boy, as he's happy to put weight on the backs now. It shows more with him now he's bare-foot, as the frog is closer to the ground, and so it affects him more.

I'm so happy, my poor boy is not uncomfortable anymore, now we just need the new healthy frog to grow. I'll let you know how we get on, but the results in just 2 days were so amazing I wanted to share it