Thrush in Horses and How to Prevent It

Further to our previous posts on Horse health and conditions that can affect the comfort and well-being of your equine buddies, here's a brief insight into another common, and somewhat irritating condition - Thrush.  

Thrush is a bacterial infection that occurs on the hoof of a horse, specifically in the soft inner region of the hoof known as 'the frog'. The reason it can be quite common is that unfortunately, the bacteria which cause thrush occur naturally in the animal's environment — especially in wet, muddy, or unsanitary conditions, such as an unclean stall — and grow best with low oxygen. Therefore, Horses with particularly deep clefts, or narrow or contracted heels are more at-risk to develop thrush.

Symptoms

One of the most obvious indications of thrush is an unpleasant odour that occurs when picking out your horses feet. Additionally, the areas of the hoof that are infected will be black in colour and will easily break or crumble when scraped with a hoof pick. When picking the hooves, around thrush areas, the differences between healthy and infected areas can be seen when there is healthy white/grey tissue surrounding a dark and unpleasant-smelling area.

Thankfully, Thrush is easy to diagnose, fairly easy to treat and is generally much less harmful than some of the other unpleasant conditions found in horses which can have much more serious effects. However, if left untreated, the bacteria can potentially migrate deeper into the sensitive parts of the hoof, which can sometimes even result in lameness. At this point, the horse may also react when his feet are picked out, and blood may be seen.

Treatment and prevention

Treatment for horses with thrush includes picking out the feet twice a day, taking special care to clean out the two collateral grooves and the central sulcus. The feet may then be scrubbed clean using a detergent and/or disinfectant and warm water, before coating the infected area with a specially-designed thrush-treatment product (which you can ask your vet for more information about), or with iodine solution, which may be soaked into cotton balls and packed into the clefts to reduce the spread of infection and to maintain a clean and sterile area within the vulnerable part of the hoof. 

As always however, it's usually wise to consult your veterinarian if you have any concerns. As a rule though, Horses with thrush, or those at risk for contracting it, are best kept in a dry, clean environment. 

Daily cleaning of the hooves also contributes to the prevention of thrush. In general, thrush is relatively easy to treat, although it can easily return and it can take up to a year for a fully healthy 'frog' to regrow after a severe infection.

For a helpful guide to identifying and treating thrush in horses, here's a quick video: