How to Diagnose and Treat Equine Thrush

Thrush is a fungal infection that infects horse's hooves. The fungus gradually eats away at the frog. Although thrush seldom causes the horse to go lame, it shouldn’t be left untreated.

Things You'll Need

  • Hoof Pick
  • Thrush Remedy
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Instructions

  1. Identifying Thrush

    • 1

      Smell your horse's feet when you are bringing him in from the field. Scent is the first thing people notice when a horse has thrush. Thrush emits an odor similar to that of rotting vegetation. The good news is that you won't have to put your nose against his feet to identify thrush. The odor is quite strong, and you will notice the smell when your horse walks on concrete and when you clean the bottom of his hooves.

    • 2

      Look for black marks or dark ooze in the area around your horse's heel and frog. The black coloring indicates thrush. The frog is a triangular wedge of semi-hard tissue that extends from the heel to the middle of your horse's hoof. Since the purpose of the frog is to absorb shock and reduce pressure on the horse's bones, and trauma or fungal infection can cause lameness.

    • 3

      Apply pressure to your horse’s heel and frog. A healthy frog will feel firm to the touch, a thrushy frog will feel soft and squishy.

    Treating Thrush

    • 4

      Use a hoof pick and remove all of the dirt and debris from your horse’s hoof. Make sure you clean out the crevice on either side of the frog.

    • 5

      Treat the affected area with a thrush remedy. The best thrush treatments are Thrush Remedy of Kopertox. If you don’t have either of the medications on hand, pour some unscented bleach on the infected foot.

    • 6

      Hold the foot until the hoof has absorbed the liquid medication.

    • 7

      Continue treating the hoof until the thrush is completely gone.