Common Ailments

This horse had no regular trimming for at least 2 yrs. This is seedy toe almost at its worst! I resected this hoof before I realized I should have taken a before and after shot – but at this point I knew there would be plenty of opportunities! Seedy toe is the result of a hoof that has been let grow too long and out of balance.

As our environment is primarily wet and humid it is these conditions that allow the fungus and bacteria to multiply and eat away at the inside of the hoof. This horse still gets a little sore at times but is well on the way to recovery with frequent trims and an application of wunderhoof (I supply for $45 bottle) every day.

You will notice your own nails growing extremely fast when you apply it your horses feet! It smells lovely and you only need a tiny bit to smear over the coronet band. It also grows back the hair on scars very quickly and on a rubbed tail.

This mare has been suffering with thrush related issues for many months. She had a stinky smell coming from her feet and I noticed her frogs were underdeveloped and began treating for thrush with a salt solution which helped at first. 3 soakings a week in Easycare soakers (I supply and fit these) and regular trimming. She then had an episode of laminitis from the sugar in the grass (we had a frost for 3 weeks about that time) which caused her to have pain in the toes.

So with pain in the heels and then in the toes – she was a very sad mare. She was shod while very young and constantly broke down while in work due to foot issues – which later became body issues. With barehoof care she is booted while riding mostly (some days she can manage to work unbooted) and has more good days than bad. Thrush is treated with many things that all work some of the time – but none actually work ALL of the time. It is up to us to continue treatments in between hoof care visits to minimize infection returning. I give this mare MSM for her joints( I sell for $40 kg – in feedstores its selling for around $55 for 450g) You can research it yourself on www.msm-australia.com.au MSM is good for parasite control as well – I have my horses checked by faecal sample instead of chemical wormer and found no eggs in samples for over 2 yrs.

For most domestic horses- mild lameness is an issue we would prefer not to have. Unless you can create an environment where the riding area is the same as the living area – the use of boots or laser tips will most surely be needed.