HoofandForge
The pursuit of Farrier excellence
The pursuit of Farrier excellence
This information should only be used to assist in spotting potential problems early and should not be used to diagnose any pathologies. A licensed Veterinarian should always be consulted.
Deep Sulcus Thrush
I have seen a large number of horses in Arizona with this condition. Although it is more prevelant in cold and wet climates, here in Arizona it seems to flare up in our hot summer months or just prior.
-Horses most effected
The horses that seem to be most suseptable are those in box stalls with deep bedding and little sun light. Commen sense seems to dictate that unkempt and filthy conditions contribute or even cause this condition but I have had horses develop this thrush in the most sanitary and nearly sterile enviroments. The subject horse below was kept in a very clean stall, rode six days a week and was diligently looked after by groom and rider.
-The best detection is through your farrier. Farriers by far, with the exception of grooms, see the horses foot the most frequent. If you suspect it just ask.
Severe case of Deep Sulcus Thrush along with Sheared heels due to medial/lateral imbalance. As can be seen from the photo the horse had been treated with a copper sulphate solution. This particular location of thrush makes this type of treatment ineffective and can often exacerbate the condition.
You should be unable to separate the back of the hoof where the two halves of the hoof connect. As can be seen for the photo above a large amount of cotton gauze was needed to fill the space.
From the photos above and below you can see the extent and depth of the thrush, this is why conventional methods of thrush treatment do not work.
This thrush invaded the hoof over 4.5 cm, well into the Plantar cushion. Due to the depth of this particular case the horse was severely lame . After continuous and frequent balancing combined with a antibiotic treatment the horse made a complete recovery.
If you believe your horse has this bacterial infection alert your farrier or vet for immediate attention. It is relatively quick and easy to resolve with immediate attention.
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I have seen a large number of horses in Arizona with this condition. Although it is more prevelant in cold and wet climates, here in Arizona it seems to flare up in our hot summer months or just prior.
-Horses most effected
The horses that seem to be most suseptable are those in box stalls with deep bedding and little sun light. Commen sense seems to dictate that unkempt and filthy conditions contribute or even cause this condition but I have had horses develop this thrush in the most sanitary and nearly sterile enviroments. The subject horse below was kept in a very clean stall, rode six days a week and was diligently looked after by groom and rider.
-The best detection is through your farrier. Farriers by far, with the exception of grooms, see the horses foot the most frequent. If you suspect it just ask.
Severe case of Deep Sulcus Thrush along with Sheared heels due to medial/lateral imbalance. As can be seen from the photo the horse had been treated with a copper sulphate solution. This particular location of thrush makes this type of treatment ineffective and can often exacerbate the condition.
You should be unable to separate the back of the hoof where the two halves of the hoof connect. As can be seen for the photo above a large amount of cotton gauze was needed to fill the space.
From the photos above and below you can see the extent and depth of the thrush, this is why conventional methods of thrush treatment do not work.
This thrush invaded the hoof over 4.5 cm, well into the Plantar cushion. Due to the depth of this particular case the horse was severely lame . After continuous and frequent balancing combined with a antibiotic treatment the horse made a complete recovery.
If you believe your horse has this bacterial infection alert your farrier or vet for immediate attention. It is relatively quick and easy to resolve with immediate attention.
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Nail Puncture
Not a common problem but can be very serious. If the nail or object penetrates deep enough, it can puncture the navicular region causing severe long term issues. Other objects can puncture, one of the more common is a large grinding from the stall bedding.
It is generally best to leave the object in the hoof until a vet is able to evaluate the hoof. The best time to radiograph the foot to see the injury tract is prior to removal.
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