What is Heel Thrush for Horses
If you have a horse with chronic heel infection, it is the result of a more significant underlying problem. First, check for trauma in the absence of trauma.
Severe Chronic heel thrush or heel discharge
The frog must be resected entirely or cut out to find the root problem. The heels are where the infection is discharging, not the root problem.
Sheared Heels and Thrush in the Frog
Just treating the heels will not solve the real issue. Your horse might have what we call sheared heels. So this is made worse by the foot landing heel first on either the medial or lateral sides of the heels.
Understanding Sheared Heels
If this happens, then the heel shift or shears, and if the frog is compromised by thrush, the two halves are unstable and will shear with every step. So this can cause heel pain or tripping. Stabilizing the hoof is paramount to healing this condition and treating the frog’s cleft with Outlaw Thrush Stuff. Stabilizing the hoof with a bar shoe or even a wide web shoe will help stabilize the hoof and the medial-lateral instability. The most important thing to do is balance the hoof to land flat on the ground, not one side hitting first and rolling over.
A good farrier will be able to help with balancing the foot. Stopping the shearing in the hoof will allow the hoof to grow healthy and strong.
To recap on how to treat sheared heels and thrush:
- Balance the hoof to land flat
- Stabilization with a corrective shoe
- Treatment with Outlaw Thrush Stuff, an antiseptic and astringent.
