Smell your horse's hooves. Do they smell bad? If so they may be harbouring infections. In this wetter season we are seeing a greater number of horses with fungal and bacterial infections in their hooves than normal. It's important to nip these in the bud to avoid long-term lameness for your horses.
We find that a combination of treatments works better at combatting these infections than just using one.
Here are some easy topical treatments you can apply to your hooves, some of which you may already have at home:
Dishwashing detergent or napisan.
Warm soapy water is a great way to clean out your horse's feet. Just mix up a small amount of detergent or napisan in a bucket or icecream container and then scrub out hooves with a scrubbing brush.
Mouth wash.
Fill a spray bottle with mouth wash and spray your horse's feet.
Eucalyptus or tea tree oils.
These are often available in aerosol cans at the supermarket. Pick out your horse's hooves and then spray liberally around the frog.
Sound Advice also makes Good to Go Powder. We made this powder over ten years ago after months of trialing different formulas with our own horses and clients' horses. It's made from natural ingredients and is easy to apply. Just shake on the sole and around the frog area.
It's very quick at neutralising fungal and bacterial infections in the hoof, but it's also great to use with hoof boots. Just apply around the sole and heel area before and after using hoof boots.
Bacterial and fungal infections in hooves are a nuisance, but they can also end up manifesting into long-term lameness in your horse. Try using a combination of wet and dry topical treatments during this wet season.
Comments