my horses hooves and horse shoes?

if you are reining in sand they need to be wearing sliders, but if just regular riding no, my arena is sand and my QH mare goes barefoot. Sometimes the frog will peel away when it gets dead enough but the whole frog shouldnt come out. if it does your horse my have thrush. Make sure to keep your horses footing dry, thrush is caused by standing in wet areas.

They don't need special shoes for sand. Really, they don't need shoes for that at all as long as you get a good hoof moisturizer like "Rain Maker". The only thing about sand is that it's so dry and if you ride on it a lot it has a tendency to suck all the moisture out of the hoof and then they get brittle and chip and crack. I used to use Rain Maker on my horses and it's one of the best products you can get.

Horse shoes are really only needed if you're going to be riding on rock, gravel, or pavement and cement. They give the horse more traction and prevent bruising of the sole. I've had horses almost all my life and we never got any of them shod. And there's a slip-over horse boot you can get from Country Supply (online) that works like a slipper to prevent bruising from rocks if you don't want to get iron shoes.

It's normal to a certain extent for the frog to shed. If you watch your farrier closely when he trims your horses feet you'll notice that he'll use a hoof knife to trim it up. My horses used to shed theirs in big layers that were close to a quarter of an inch thick. I used to do all the hoof trimming so I just let the frog shed on it's own. If it's coming off too thick, say more than a half inch at a time, I'd call a vet or farrier and have it looked at. Otherwise it's pretty normal. Think of it like a big callus. You can even pull the hanging chunks off my hand if you want.

Just remember, if your horse's feet feel hot to the touch there's something wrong. Feel with your wrist on the outside top edge where the hairline is, and feel all around the heel, toe and frog. It should be warm, but not too warm. If there's heat, it might be anything from a bruise to the onset of your horse becoming lame. Heat should be brought to your farrier or vet's attention asap.

Hope I helped you!

First, it is normal for the frog to be worn off. When it isn't sufficiently worn down, it will sometimes shed off in one big chunk, revealing healthy new tissue underneath. The tissue that is shed consists of dead cells. It has nothing to do with thrush. It is normal.

Horses do better without shoes. a variety of surfaces are good for the hooves to be exposed to which toughens them. I am a firm believer in barefoot trimming, which is a learned skill that many farriers haven't acquired. If you can find a qualified barefoot trimmer to service your horse, it is the best guarantee you can find to developing and maintaining strong, healthy hooves.

Keep him barefoot, and have the trims done frequently. Give him as much opportunity to exercise as possible, which keeps the blood moving in the hooves and "feeds" hoof tissues from the inside.

Add...I just saw the post above mine. Trust me, it isn't often, but the entire dead frog does come off all at once as a normal occurrance on occasion.

I agree with the comments about keeping him barefoot.

You should keep him barefoot, this isnt an issue that would cause him to need shoes. The healthiest way (on the whole) for a horses feet to be is without the shoes.

Its normal for the horses frog to change shape with different changes in the weather and conditions, it could well be to do with the snow and the weather being a bit more damp than usual.

He wont need special shoes for sand, their bare feet provide the best grip on most surfaces :)

It's healthiest to allow a horse to go barefoot. A hoof is supposed to flex. Steel shoes prevent that from happening and binds the hoof's circulation.. Sand is really easy on their feet, with the exception that it is drying to the feet, but that has nothing to do with needing shoes. If riding on hard or rocky terrain, you could use Old Mac horse boots, boas, or easyboots. There's a lot of boot options on the easycare website, shoe alternatives. Check out swedish hoof school on youtube. Oh, and It is normal for a frog to shed a little here and there, but not 'fall off"! If it really did fall off, then you'd better have a vet or your farrier check that out pronto. Even if barefoot, a horse still needs regular hoofcare. :)

no horse needs shoes. even on hard ground. was it protruding a bit and the top just peeled off? if so he is merely self trimming. so no you dont need to put shoes on to ride on sand. if you are concerned about the frog thing consult your trimmer

Unless her has trouble moving in the sand, I wouldn't worry about it.

But are you talking about being ridden in sand on the beach? thats a different story. or just in an arena?

What Is Thrush and What Do I Do About It?

What is it?

Thrush is usually a rather benign disease that attacks the frog and surrounding tissue. It is primarily found in the sulci (the grooves along side and down the center of the frog). It is characterized by a dark, often black, putrid slimy discharge. It is usually associated with poor frog growth and a ragged disintegration of the frog tissue. Occasionally a case will become chronic and complicated with deep involvement of the sensitive structures and may, in worst case scenarios, involve the tendons. These cases are hard to distinguish from canker, and very difficult to cure.

What causes thrush?

A little critter called spherophorus necrophorus is most often to blame. It is an anaerobic (lives without oxygen) bacterium that lives in the digestive tracts of animals world wide. Poor sanitation, dirty stalls, manure filled paddocks and wet conditions are major factors that predispose the foot to thrush. Contracted or overly high heels that trap debris also contribute to a horse’s chances of contracting thrush. But the primary cause of this disease is lack of thorough cleaning of the feet. S. necrophorus in small colonies is easily killed by air and light. This bacterium loves dark wet unsanitary places like the bottom of a horse’s foot. It can set up housekeeping and multiply prolifically, feeding on the frog tissue itself.

How is thrush detected?

A foul odor that smells like a cross between rotting garbage and stinky socks, and a black slimy discharge are the main clues. The frog may be covered with this discharge, or there may be some deep in the sulci along side the frog and down the center of it. The sulci may be deeper than normal. You may also see it in the white chalky exfoliating sole around the frog. The white powdery stuff is NOT thrush. That is normal shedding of the sole.

In advanced cases, the frog will be atrophied and have a shredded, disintegrated, mushy look to it, with loose, ragged flaps of tissue hanging off. (Loose flaps alone do not signify thrush. Horses shed their frogs in the spring and fall along with their coats. These flaps, if uninfected, are normal. Your farrier will trim them off at his/her next visit. If these flaps appear loose and about to come off, you can grab them with your hands and pull them off.) Your horse may be sensitive to the hoof pick when you dig down into the sulci. In very serious cases you may draw blood. Your horse may also be lame.

What can be done to treat thrush?

In very mild cases, simply keeping your horse in a clean, dry environment and thoroughly picking his feet every day, especially the sulci, may be all that is required. In mild cases, you may need to use an over the counter remedy. There are several available in tack shops and feed stores. You should discuss treatment with your farrier and/or veterinarian. They can recommend the right product to you, as there are some that are more effective than others. With the right product and diligence on your part, thrush can be cleared up an a few days to a week or two.

What about serious cases?

In advanced cases you will need the help of your farrier and your veterinarian. They will need to debride the effected area and remove as much of the diseased tissue as possible. There may be a good deal of blood associated with this tissue removal if the thrush is advanced enough. This is followed by aggressive treatment.

If the center cleft of the frog is deeply involved, you will have to clean it out every day and pack it with medication and cotton. This is done by hooking a cotton ball on the end of a clean hoof pick, and swabbing it through the cleft, all the way to the bottom. It will come out covered with gunk and slime, and your horse may complain that it hurts. Repeat this process with a clean cotton ball each time, until the last one comes out clean. Then soak as many cotton balls as needed in Betadine solution or a similar product (DO NOT use the scrub, as the soap will irritate sensitive tissue), and pack them down in the cleft. Pack it tight and full. Repeat this treatment every day and keep your horse in a clean, dry environment. The rest of the frog should be treated with a commercial remedy or one your vet gives you.

You will have to do this for a long time. The frog tissue will eventually fill in the cleft. It must grow from the inside out. If the cleft is deeply involved, this can take several months. If you stop treatment too soon, the thrush will return and you will be back to square one.

More serious treatment may take the form of your vet packing the affected areas with medication and wrapping the feet to keep them clean. S/he may want to administer a tetanus shot and antibiotics as well. The bandages and packing will have to be replaced every day or two. If you do not feel qualified to do this, you should ask your vet to return and do it for you. A bandage that does not stay on is not goin

your horse dont even need shoes to ride in sand only on solid ground so its feet dont hurt.