When your horse has thrush, it can seem almost impossible to get it under control. Most people think it’s just a matter of applying some over the counter and sometimes expensive “thrush treatment” when in reality there are many factors that can be responsible for ongoing thrush issues.
In my review of a DVD set by Pete Ramey called Tools of the Trade, I mentioned that Pete shares with us in that DVD set a simple but effective solution that is easy to apply for both you and your hoof care professional.
I’ve found that most people will not stay on top of thrush if the application of the treatment is time consuming and difficult.
What To Avoid When Choosing A Thrush Product
The most important thing to understand is that many products on the market designed for thrush will not only kill the fungus and bacteria, but will also kill live tissue. Therefore, choose a thrush treatment that will not harm living tissue.
Overcoming Thrush Issues
Beating thrush has little to do with the product you use and more to do with stimulation to the frog. Stimulation will cause more material to grow so you can “out run” the amount of tissue that is being destroyed by fungus and bacteria.
If a horse is not landing properly (heal first) then the frog is not getting enough stimulation. When a horse has thrush she will usually not land properly. It can cause a vicious cycle.
Two solutions to this are putting pea gravel down in your horse’s living area and booting your barefoot horse when in use.
If you focus on the following you will be much more successful at beating thrush:
- Focus on stimulation
- Focus on a heal first landing
- Focus on drying out the horse’s environment
This is just a short introduction and by no means is a complete approach to overcoming thrush.
Pete’s Goo
One treatment I have used with success is something called Pete’s Goo. No, you can’t purchase it by that name. It’s a simple and cost effective mixture you can use on your horse for thrush. I like it because it’s easy to use, I feel comfortable recommending it to others, and it works.
It’s a concoction that Pete Ramey came up with that is a 50/50 mixture of the following:
- Neosporin Plus Pain (or generic triple antibiotic ointment plus)
- Human Athlete’s Foot Cream (1% Clotrimazole) – BE SURE TO CHECK THAT IT CONTAINS Clotrimazole
Mix the two together and place into a large 60cc syringe using a butter knife.
Since I get a lot of questions on how to use this mixture, I decided to provide a short video I could direct people to. I hope this provides you a little more guidance when treating those tough thrush issues.
Keep it soulful,
Stephanie Krahl
Recommended Resources
- Guiding Principles of Natural Horse Care
- Natural Horse Care By Pat Coleby
- Pete Ramey’s Tools Of The Trade DVD Set
