27/05/2024
Winter is coming, and so is the wet weather. This is an excellent post for anyone struggling with hoof problems such as seedy toe/thrush etc.
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๐ด This is an article I have been wanting to put together for a very long time, however there are just so many points I wanted to address that itโs taken me months to get here.
๐ง๏ธ White line disease (seedy toe), abscesses, thrush, thin solesโฆ These terms seem to describe this entire year if you own horses, so Iโve made it my mission to put together a detailed guide on how to prevent and manage these conditions as best as possible.
๐ฆ Unfortunately, there is no quick fix or magic solution, and it is physically demanding and time consuming to say the least. Horses are not designed to be housed in these sorts of conditions long term, and their hooves are just not equipped to withstand the issues that wet ground and mud can bring.
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Iโm going to rip the band-aid off and start with the most labour intensive point and the one I look forward to the least with my own horses.
In these conditions, we need to be thoroughly cleaning every single hoof, every single day. When I say clean, I donโt mean use a hoof pick to flick out a bit of mud from either side of the frog and call it a day. I meanโฆ invest in a good quality hoof pick plus a heavy duty wire bristle brush and scrub the entire underside of the hoof spotless. Not only will a wire brush uncover every little defect so that you are able to address it before it becomes something more sinister, but it will also promote circulation and stimulate frog health and sole growth because letโs face it, thereโs not much stimulation coming from mud and waterlogged ground right now.
Regardless of your topical treatment of choice, whether it be bluestone, potassium permanganate, methylated spirits, iodine, apple cider vinegar, it needs to be consistent and thorough. Just like cleaning the hoof, these topical treatments need to be applied daily, with the exception of products such as bluestone + beeswax/vaseline which are designed to stay put for longer than a day.
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6-8 weeks is not a short trim cycle. There, I said it. An unsettling degree of pathology can work its way into a hoof that is going 6-8 weeks between trims, particularly if there is no daily maintenance being carried out. 3-5 weeks is a more appropriate timeframe between trims during these conditions; however, mid-cycle clean ups (a hoof knife or tool to nick out spots of white line disease) can still be necessary and can make all of the difference. Rogue white line disease can track a long way in a matter of weeks.
Pleaseโฆ Do not blame your trimmer or farrier for issues with your horseโs hooves if you are not addressing everything else that influences hoof health. They see your horse once every 1-2 months, you see them every day.
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The most important part when it comes to addressing white line disease, separation, seedy toe that has already established. The bacteria that are responsible for these defects in the white line are anaerobic, which means they thrive in deep, dark, dirty crevices where oxygen is not abundant.
Resecting these pockets of pathology allows oxygen to kill and stop the bacteria in its tracks. You or your hoof care professional must be resecting areas of seedy toe or separation to prevent the progression of the disease.
Please note that if you are using treatments such as bluestone and beeswax to kill seedy toe, you must ensure that the resection is thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, and properly dried before applying a treatment that is going to seal off access for oxygen. The last thing you want to do is plug an unsanitary and damp pocket of disease with a โtreatmentโ that is going to hold in the dirt and debris for the bacteria to continue thriving amongst.
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Even if the majority of your horseโs paddock is waterlogged, providing them with an area of dry footing can make all of the difference for preventing disease and hoof defects. Consider investing in some well-draining footing to build up a stable area so that your horse can escape the elements and dry out from time to time.
Regularly removing manure and urine build up from highly frequented parts of the paddock such as hay stations, water troughs, and loafing areas can significantly reduce how much bacteria and disease your horseโs hooves come into contact with.
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Diet and gut health influences hoof health greatly, so ensuring that your horse is receiving a balanced and species-appropriate diet can make all of the difference where their hoof integrity is concerned.
Trace element balance is vital for hoof growth, strength and pathogen prevention, so please invest the time (or money if research isnโt your thing) into ensuring your horse has what they need. Buying a biotin supplement is not going to fix your horseโs hooves if their diet is deficient in copper and zinc.
These weather conditions can take their toll on our horseโs psychological and physical health, so please make sure you are supporting their gut health where necessary. Continuing to load your horse with starch that feeds pathogenic gut microflora and contributes to hindgut pH disturbances is not going to support their hoof health. After all, the brain > gut > hooves are all linked.
๐ I sincerely hope that this post helps someone and their horses. You are not alone if some days you feel insane and frustrated - I have those moments too!
๐ฌ I invest a lot of time and energy into researching and writing these free information resources, so if you found this article interesting or informative, Iโd love if you could leave your feedback in the comments and give it a share. ๐ซถ๐ผ
