If you’ve been taking lessons, or owned a horse for a while, you have probably heard of or cleaned out a hoof affected with thrush. By basic definition, thrush is a fungal infection that affects the hoof of a horse, most commonly the frog. If you’ve picked out a hoof with thrush, then you probably also know that is stinks! It is important to get it under control so thrush does not continue to spread, or harm any of your horse’s sensitive hoof structures.
Our big lady Dede seems to have a chronic problem with thrush!! It is so frustrating and while there are many products on the market, I’ve found a few to work better than others. And I am trying some new products now as well. Tis the wet season, so I am curious which products you have had success with?
No Thrush – it’s the only powder (that I know of) thrush treatment out there and it seems to work. I think it is a better product for the winter because it sticks better to damp feet (or if the thrush is really bad, this powder sticks pretty well in the icky cracks). I’ve just found that in the summer, it is pretty dry and I seem to waste more than I successfully use. It is pricey, but if it is effective, I don’t mind paying a little more. I squeeze a little out of the bottle and then use the pointy end of my hoof pick to push the powder into the cracks of her frog and any other grooves in the hoof.
Thrush Buster – the classic purple product to apply to thrush. I like it because it is purple so I can easily see where I’ve applied it, and it comes with a good tip for getting the product into the crevices of your horse’s hoof. I’ve applied this multiple times, but I’m not consistent, so I haven’t seen results yet. Better than it used to be though, so I am rather convinced that it would work even better if I applied it more consistently.
White Lightning – This product is effective but you do have to soak their feet in it. There is also a generic version of this product called Oxine AH which has the same main ingredients as white lightning, but is less expensive (click here to view the generic version of white lightning). I use dry bags (purchased from Sierra Trading Post) and then wrap the top with polo wraps to let the gas help Dede’s feet. I just tend to be a little strapped for time. Do not apply the product to their skin! Application is just a little white lightning mixed with equal part of vinegar (to activated the gas production) in the bottom of the bag. It’s the gas that helps kill the thrush.
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