If you own a horse, you’ve seen it – that black, smelly, soft and gooey stuff that invades the grooves in your four-legged friend’s hooves. It’s called “Thrush”, and it’s caused by a combination of bacterial and fungal organisms that thrive in a moist, low oxygen environment, making your horse’s hooves one of the best breeding grounds possible. Most of us encounter thrush during the wet, winter months – where small, manure-filled horse habitats become wet and muddy – but thrush can also develop in a dry environment, especially at the end of a shoeing cycle as the flaps of the frog grow over the grooves (sulci) alongside the frog on the sole of the hoof. Of course, stalled horses are more susceptible – especially those who are laid-up or simply don’t get out on a regular basis – but pastured horses can also develop a problem if not monitored.
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No Hoof , No Horse
Left untreated, thrush can lead to more serious issues, such as hoof abscesses, white-line disease and frog decay. As the bacteria and fungus get deeper into the hoof, they wreak havoc on what is actually quite a fragile part of the horse’s body. It has been said by many a veterinarian, farrier and knowledgeable horseman, “No hoof, no horse”, and that’s the truth.
Thrush has to be stopped, or kept under control if it does crop up, so what are we to do? Once again, Well Horse comes to the rescue with another incredible product… “Thrush Off” to the rescue!
Put a Stop to Thrush in Three Easy Steps
- Proper Environment and Exercise: It is our job, as horse owners, to make sure that our horses live in as a clean an environment as possible. This means that if your horse is stalled, the stall must be cleaned on a daily basis – pay attention to those wet shavings or “pee spots”. Depending on size, pastures should also be “turned” so that any manure is mixed with the soil and doesn’t become a bacterial breeding ground when wet. Additionally, be sure that your horse is exercised regularly – leaving him in a stall for long periods of time is bad on his hooves, plain and simple.
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Proper Hoof Care: Whenever you get your horse out of his stall, you must pick his hooves. If you can’t do this on a daily basis (or as near as possible), make arrangements to have it done by your barn staff or to have your horse “turned out” so that he can naturally clean his own hooves through movement. Movement dislodges manure and dirt in the soles of the hooves. Keep a regular schedule with your farrier – a regularly trimmed or shod hoof is a healthier hoof. Your farrier will make sure that the grooves alongside the frog are properly cleared and that any overgrown areas of the frog are cut away so that you can better clean your horse’s hooves. - Proper and Effective Thrush Treatment: Apply a non-caustic topical thrush treatment to the hoof on a regular basis. In most cases, when thrush isn’t present, it’s a good idea to treat weekly, and when thrush is identified, you must treat daily. Most off the shelf thrush treatments include “caustic chemicals”, such as bleach or iodine, and this can injure the soft tissues of the hoof. Thrush Off by Well Horse is all natural, non-caustic, antibacterial and anti-fungal, so it’s really the perfect product!
Thrush Off Really Works
Trush Off is a unique combination of safe botanicals that effectively promote the elimination of thrush (bacteria, fungus and other organisms) on contact. It is also extremely easy to use, as it goes into the hoof in a liquid form and with a little “brushing” it turns to powder…no more holding your horses hoof upside down for five minutes to allow a product to saturate and then attempting to scrub the stains off your own hands, clothes or barn floor. This particular formulation also allows the treatment to cover, enter and stay inside of the hoof for longer.
“As a Farrier, I am very cautious about putting my reputation on the line for a product. However, I was working on a rescue case involving over 50 horses. All of which had severe thrush that was eating away at the bulbs of the foot. Nothing was working. I tried every over the counter thrush medication and even tried some home remedy treatments. I finally figured that I had nothing to lose by trying THRUSH OFF. Not only did it clear up the thrush in all of the horses involved, but it also helped the frog grow back at a faster rate than usual. It’s the only thrush remedy that I keep in my shoeing truck. It’s a great product.”
Josh Edwards, Farrier
Whitmore Lake, MI
Thrush Off is also an effective treatment for healing other hoof issues, including damaged tissue from things such as abscesses, sensitive shedding frogs, puncture wounds, white-line infections and hoof canker. Our own San Luis Horse News Editor has experienced the “magic” of Thrush Off in this regard.
“A couple of years ago, my mare had a bout with IR (Insulin Resistance). She didn’t fully founder, but she was in a bad way for a bit, and the result was damaged laminae that led to white-line. At one point, her hoof wall separated and my farrier had to cut away a “v-shaped” section of the wall of her hoof so that I could keep it clean and get the white-line under control. I kept her hooves cleaned with water and a brush, and treated her with Thrush Off every 3 days. When my farrier came back out to trim her hooves, we were both amazed that the “purple” liquid had actually traveled up the inside of her hoof wall above where the “V” was cut and had created a powder barrier. It was pretty amazing, and I attribute much of the success of her recovery to this product. I will never use another product again!”
Sarah Williams
SLO Horse News Editor and Horse Owner
“White Line bacterial infection is created by bacteria trapped between the hoof wall and the laminae. Removed the dead tissue that is not attached to the laminae. Clean it very well with a dremel. Apply Thrush Off and brush it in well in the affected areas. The moist thrushy tissue dries within 5 minutes. Thrush Off is NON CAUSTIC, NON TOXIC and anti-bacterial with very strong healing properties.”
Coco Fernandez- Master Farrier
Arroyo Grande, CA
Thrush Off is the most effective and easy to apply treatment on the market today. Just clean the frog thoroughly, shake the bottle well and apply the solution to the affected areas with the brush within the bottle (or an old toothbrush), daily until condition clears. Apply once a week for maintenance and prevention.
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