HELP!!!! my horse has thrush and it is soaking wet outside how do i get rid of it?

Thrush is also caused by other factors aside from being wet and being muddy. It can also be caused by improper or lacking hoof care. If the heels are contracted or left long it can lead to the frog becoming more susceptible to infection due to lack of circulation or a deep central sulcus ( the groove in the middle ). Any degree of thrush can cause pain in a horses hoof and result in them changing the way they walk.

There are many treatments out there, but I prefer to stay simple and effective. This is Pete Ramey's Goo which anyone I've ever known has had excellent results ( Thrushbuster may work, though I've heard it is more 50/50, but I've never personally used it ). From his website www.hoofrehab.com:

"I use a 50/50 mix of Triple Antibiotic Ointment and Athletes Foot Cream (1% Clotrimazole) (for humans; over the counter at any pharmacy). I mix it thoroughly and put it in a 60cc catheter-tip syringe (available from any vet) (The syringe may well be more important than the cream, as it allows deep penetration to the core of the problem). Mix the products in a Tupperware bowl, then spoon in or 'top load' 15cc with a butter knife. I have my horse owners treat deep into central cleft daily until no cleft is present. No need to squirt it all over the frog; just a pea-sized dab at the very bottom of the central sulcus. To date, I've seen it eliminate deep, sensitive central frog clefts in 100% of cases within 2 months. (A first, with every treatment I've ever used, though past experience tells me we'll never find a product that works on every case in every environment.)"

Yes, bleach ( and to an extent hydrogen peroxide ) will kill bacteria and fungus, but it will also destroy good tissue, making recovery take longer. If you want to soak the hoof, a Lysol and water mix works well without damaging healthy tissue. Lysol Concentrate – All Purpose, any color, mix according to directions at 2 oz per gallon. Do not make it any stronger.

Scrubbing the hoof on a regular basis with a dish soap/water solution helps. Rinse with more dish soap/water and leave to dry. The soap will not harm the horse. Also, an apple cider vinegar/water solution in a spray bottle can be used each day to keep the hooves healthy after the thrush is cleared up ( as a preventative ).

Do not put any oils or sealants/pads on the frog that would prevent oxygen from getting to the area, as thrush thrives in that environment ( which is why removing loose flaps is good ). I don't think the tar would get deep enough into the crevices to help with the thrush. Also, having 24/7 turnout may be better then standing in a stall as it will promote circulation and help with healing.

You do not say whether or not you are in the U.S., so I will presume you are. If your horse has thrush in all four feet and she is painful, that is a real red flag and you should call your vet to see her immediately. I have never seen a horse with thrush in all four feet. That said, please do not ever put bleach on your horse's feet. It is very caustic, even diluted, and it kills healthy tissue. As far as killing healthy tissue, do does all the thrush medications on the commercial market. Yes, they kill infected tissue but they also kill healthy tissue and some of them create an unhealthy environment by the way they react with the tissues. Thrush Buster, Kopertox, Hoof-flex and all the others I can't remember and also no formaldehyde (hello, used to embalm dead things) and certainly no hydrogen peroxide as it binds oxygen needed by the tissues, it is harmful as are all these things.

Go to Tractor Supply. Get some mastitis medication for a DRY COW called GO Dry by U.S.Meds. It is a box of 12 syringes for about $15. You insert the tip into the cleft between the hoof bulbs and further down the central sulcus and press the plunger until you see the medication coming out. Feet to be cleaned and medicated twice daily for a case such as you describe. Keep feet dry if possible. This medication is suspended in oil so it stays in the foot and keeps out moisture to a certain extent, better than anything else I know. This medication will attack both the bacteria and fungus and can heal the worst cases of thrush and it is SAFE for your horse and WILL NOT HARM your horse in any way and none of these other products can claim such. I keep at least two boxes of this stuff on hand at all times. It heals so quickly. Good luck with your horse.

Are you sure it is thrush? Most horse do not get thrush unless they are kept in a dirty environment and not having their hooves cleaned out once in awhile., too little hoof circulation, horse's health condition and the like. Thrush starts when dirt, manure or whatever gets in to the frog area and stays there..if not cleaned out or knocked out by the horse running or moving to knock it out, then you have the bacteria kick in.

To have it in all four feet at once is kinda weird. But if that is what it is, it would help to have the frogs pared down as much as possible, treat the thrush with thrush medicine or bleach and water (1 part bleach to 4 parts water. If you do not have a dry place to put the horse, then you can boot it or wrap it, using a soaked pad of medicine attached to the sole. You would have to leave it on at least 3 days, then re-do it, leave on another 2 days, then maybe re-do a third time if needed. Then just put the solution on the sole and in the frog clefts every other day for a week.

You may also check with a vet and see about antibiotics, if it is that bad. good luck with it.

if the thrush isn't bad in the front foot, i would use the poultice to drain the abcess. Get rid of the abcess first then remove the poultice and treat the thrush second. Bleach is ideal for treating thrush. While the wet poultice will encourage the thrush, it is important to get rid of the abcess first as it will be causing your horse more discomfort than the thrush. Once the abcess bursts, the pressure will be relieved and he will be able to put pressure on the hoof again. Epsom salt baths will help, soak his foot in warm salt water for fifteen minutes twice a day. This will help to draw out the abcess as well as clean the foot to discourage bacteria, which cause the abcess and thrush

Thrush Buster.

get some at your local tack shop.

Put some in the grooves of the hoof only and do that once a week.

If you're really worried, then you should have a spot outside where your horse isn't standing in muck.

Don't boot. That just keeps moisture

Keep her feet clean. Hoof pick em out once a day.

If you have acess to a stall, keep it clean and dry. My amish farrier showed me how well apple cider vinegar works on thrush. The cider lowers the ph of the hoof tissue without harming it. The thrush dies because it cannot handle the slightly acidic 'environment". Keep cleaning the hoofs frequently and spray vinegar twice a day. This always cleared ours up within a week.

Best thing you can do is get her into a dry area where there is no wet ground, even if you treat it being the wet ground will just add to it and not allow medicine to work. Once you have her in a dry area she will have to stay here, and you will have to keep treating her hooves especially when its wet outside. The best thrush killer I have ever used is thrush buster, my mare had contracted thrush badly at our old barn and then we changed to a drier barn and now her thrush was gone within a week of using thrush buster.

Heres the link to it :) Hope i helped

http://www.statelinetack.com/item/mustad-thrush-bu...

Call a farrier or vet. If you wait too long thrush can lead to serious hoof problems tha in a worst case scenario can lead to death. Until a vet or farrier is called, heep the hooves clean and as dry as possibe. I would suggest putting the horse in a stall!

The only way to deal with it is to wash the feet well and dry them well and then pour in to each foot some hydrogen peroxide (easily and cheaply bought from the drug store and should be part of anyone's first aid kit!) which is an antiseptic and an astringent, meaning that it will dry things out well. Once it has stopped fizzing, dry the foot and paint it well with a mix of hoof oil and stockholm tar. The stockholm tar is the antiseptic and stays on the foot better than hoof oil alone, but the hoof oil makes it a bit easier to apply.

If you can keep her indoors then so much the better on a deep, dry bed. If not, then you will just have to clean and paint the feet at least twice a day.

Thrush should not hurt the horse unless the infection is hugely out of control, in which case, the vet is your best option.

My friends horse had thrush and what she did was clean out the hoof and then the vet put a metal plate on it to keep stuff out. The frog had like rotted away btw.