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Written by: Jessica Konopinski
Published on: 08/02/2023
We’ve all experienced thrush in horses whether we’ve realized it or not. Have you ever been picking your horses hooves or been in a barn and caught a whiff of foul odor? More than likely the scent (that some of us are all too familiar with) is an indication that someone’s horse is currently dealing with thrush. The good news is that thrush is a common condition experienced by most horses. With the correct knowledge, understanding and preventative steps any one can help identify the condition, alleviate their horse of thrush and take preventative measures moving forward.
What is thrush? First things first. In order to identify, treat and prevent thrush, we must understand what it is.
Thrush can occur for lots of reasons, but is typically a sign of some sort of abnormality. Since a horse's hoof goes through a natural self-cleaning process, thrush can be an indication that something is unusual. For example, a horse may be suffering from some sort of lameness that prevents them from putting pressure on the hoof and therefore is unable to go through the self-cleaning process. Or maybe the horse is simply suffering from poor hygiene. [2] Both of these scenarios are a sign that the owner must take the next steps to treat and prevent this condition moving forward before it worsens and becomes more serious.
Now that you are familiar with what thrush is, how do you identify it? Thrush is often black in color and has the consistency of a runny discharge. However, the easiest way to identify thrush is (you guessed it) by its foul smelling odor. While thrush typically affects the central frog, if the condition becomes more serious it can spread to more sensitive layers of the foot like the sole and white line. [1]
Like we talked about before, horses' hooves are self-cleaning. However, if they are living in poor conditions and not given the appropriate support, infections can begin to occur. Some causes to keep in mind that can encourage infections to spread or occur include poor circulation to the hoof, lameness, lack of exercise, inefficient trimming/shoeing and abnormal hoof growth. [1]
The good news is that treating thrush is pretty simple and affordable. Every veterinarian, farrier or equine professional has their own techniques, products and methods that they’ve seen great results with. It is a great idea to contact a trusted professional who is familiar with your horse and their condition before beginning to self treat your horse’s thrush.
Depending on the severity of the thrush most horse owners will begin with a low risk and low cost medicated product such as ThrushBuster or Kopertox [3]. Some veterinarians and farriers will often trim away the infected tissue which can help prevent the infection from spreading. In more serious cases and especially if the horse is struggling with lameness a veterinarian or farrier may apply a medicated sole pad or consider other supportive shoeing options.
The best and most simple way to prevent your horse from getting thrush is by good hygiene measures. This can mean picking out your horse’s hooves often, cleaning the stalls more frequently and being aware of when your horse may be standing in moist environments for long periods of time.
If your horse seems to suffer from recurrent thrush with little to no explanation, it is always recommended to consult your veterinarian and consider alternative treatments and prevention.
✅ Single ingredient, 100% pure Camelina Oil.
✅ Non-GMO
✅ Ideal balance of Omega-3 compared to other products, like soybean oil.
✅ Canadian produced and operated.
✅ Single ingredient, 100% pure Camelina Oil.
✅ Non-GMO
✅ Ideal balance of Omega-3 compared to other products, like soybean oil.
✅ Canadian produced and operated.
Jessica is a brand consultant who brings awareness and intention to equestrian and pet platforms. As a former collegiate equestrian athlete and animal lover, Jessica leads with passion and experience through her writing and brand work for companies who advocate for creating a difference in their space. When she's not riding her horse or walking her dog (with iced coffee in hand), you can find her sharing her love for health and wellness with others and integrating these practices in her everyday work.
