Post by Calaminty Jane on Mar 8, 2011 10:48:35 GMT -5
Spring Hoof Maintenance
Here in New England we have what we call “Mud Season” Basically, what that means is if your horse wears shoes, you now worry that they will be sucked off by the mud. I can’t clean up the winter manure because only a body builder can push a wheel barrow right now. However, this is a good time for other things. As the ground begins to dry out, I will treat all my horses with a foot soak. It’s called White Lightning (another great product is Clean Trax) I’ll use it once per week for the next 4 weeks to prevent or treat Thrush. It kills fungus without harming tissue. I don’t know that any of them have a fungus infection, but I’ll use it as a preventative. For all the years I had horses, I did not know how to recognize a fungus infection. Now I know that some signs are a tattered looking frog, contracted heels with a deep cleft at the back of the bulbs, extra deep crevasses along the frog and small under developed frogs. Many horses have this infection but it goes untreated unless and until it gets into the wall and separates the wall allowing dirt to pack and open the wall, or causes what is known as white line disease or compromises the frog and foot so the horse becomes lame. I think that “Do less sooner rather than more later” is a good thing here. This site is very informative. www.grandcircuitinc.com/
Carol
"I Promise my horse... I will look for the smallest try,
always reward softness and never release on a brace."
ourlifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/
Here in New England we have what we call “Mud Season” Basically, what that means is if your horse wears shoes, you now worry that they will be sucked off by the mud. I can’t clean up the winter manure because only a body builder can push a wheel barrow right now. However, this is a good time for other things. As the ground begins to dry out, I will treat all my horses with a foot soak. It’s called White Lightning (another great product is Clean Trax) I’ll use it once per week for the next 4 weeks to prevent or treat Thrush. It kills fungus without harming tissue. I don’t know that any of them have a fungus infection, but I’ll use it as a preventative. For all the years I had horses, I did not know how to recognize a fungus infection. Now I know that some signs are a tattered looking frog, contracted heels with a deep cleft at the back of the bulbs, extra deep crevasses along the frog and small under developed frogs. Many horses have this infection but it goes untreated unless and until it gets into the wall and separates the wall allowing dirt to pack and open the wall, or causes what is known as white line disease or compromises the frog and foot so the horse becomes lame. I think that “Do less sooner rather than more later” is a good thing here. This site is very informative. www.grandcircuitinc.com/
Carol
"I Promise my horse... I will look for the smallest try,
always reward softness and never release on a brace."
ourlifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/