horses hooves..?

Question

is it true that applying thrush treatment to the hooves a few times a week will help toughen the hoof so it can prevent abseses somewhat? and if this is true where can i find thrush treatments and what is the best kind to use? thanx =)

Answer 1

Toughening the hoof will not prevent thrush or (Absesses). The hoof needs to be somewhat plyable to function properly. A good 90% of hoof care is simple hygene. You do not need to spend loads of money on a thrush treatment. Thrush is a bacterial desisease that thrives when there is a lack of oxygen to the hoof or infected area. Oxygen will actually kill the trush. Most of the time thrush happens when the horse is stabled in a wet enviroment, (ie: urine, and manure and water). In most cases of thrush if it is not a severe case, you will notice in the deep crevices of the frog a black puss that is very foul smelling. In that case most of the time just a good daily hoof picking will kill the trush and prevent it from coming back. Also clean the stable and make certain it is dry. In a worse case the hoof may also show signs of bleeding from the frog. If that happens then you would need to move the horse to a clean and dry area and begin a daily picking and also use a hoof wash such as a betadine soution. You can obtain that from any pharmacy. If you have access to a friend that works in a hospital you canhave them get you a bottle of the stronger surgical scrub and that will work as well. In this case of bleeding you may consider giving a two or three day course of a anti-biotic injection. In most cases that I have ever seen in my life, it has a three day window to appear and then a three day window to go away with proper treatment.

I hope that this helps with your question and that you get it all cleared up soon.

This is the only treatments i have ever used, and I was born on a working ranch and the in my school days worked for a larg rodeo stock company and that is the same treatment they used for thrush.

Also the best supliment I have found to add to they daily feed is Melinnium Gold, and also one of the best thing to keep a hoof in good shape is flax mixed with feed daily.

Answer 2

I dont think that the thrush treatment itself will toughen the hoof, but thrush will weaken the hoof so eliminating the thrush will help the hoof to grow stronger. Thrush is generally in the sole/frog and not where the hoof grows from (corneal band)
The best (and cheapest!) thrush remedy is LISTERINE! Yep, good ol' cheap Listerine (get the wal mart brand it is cheapest and works great!) Put it in a spray bottle and spray the thrushy area 3-4 times a week. Make sure their stall is nice and dry, too. Even spraying a lot of Listerine (when the horses is not in its stall) will help cut this down. Thrush is a living organism, very similar to yeast infections.
Best wishes, and dont worry! IT can go away!

Answer 3

this is true in the winter when your horse is living a damp area. Thrush can be a problem when the feet are exposed to moisture and manure for longer periods. In that scenario applying a thrush remedy a few times a week can keep the hooves from contracting thrush. Thrush then makes the foot more prone to abcsesses.
If you can keep your horses living quarters dry as possible and clean his feet daily you will go a long way to preventing hoof problems.

Answer 4

Not sure about the toughen part but any reputable thrush treatment should clear it up if used until it has cleared.
...you dont want a hoof to be too tough as it needs the flexibility to function properly. Be careful of some products that kill the thrush but damage the hoof - particularly alcohol based ones.

Answer 5

feed biotin! its amazing for their hooves!