~Shadepups Horse Enquires for the Horse owners~

[Oddly Shaded]

Alright Here is another Horse tip for your horses comfort.

When tacking up, put the saddle blanket half way up over the shoulder. Put the saddle ontop and slide it down. This helps your horses hair stay flap and it doesn't anoy them while riding.

While riding, you should try a trust game with your horse. Useing only legs to control your horse, navagate him/her threw barrels or chairs. Just walking and the reins sitting on the horses neck and shoulder joint. If you trust your horse, and are a good enough rider, try a trot, or canter. But have the reins under your leg so they don't fly around and scar your horse into bolting away. Controling your horse by leg movement is quite easy. Give pressure on the side your horse has to move to, using your leg. e.g. Giving pressure on your right leg, will make your horse go right. ect.

[WeOnceLived]

Username: Team-Jacob
Horse(s) Name(s): Sonny
Problem/Question: Thrush. My horse has thrush constantly. Its under control but its still there. It never goes away its been like that since I've been leasing her..3 years(they won't sell her..). Any suggestions on what I should do? We use Thrush Buster(as directed twice a week). She is a barefoot horse. Her back legs tend to get stocked up often(if that matters). The owner of the barn said she would ask about it to the vet..she think the infection thrush stuff whatever is in her blood stream. So yeah got any suggestions?

[Oddly Shaded]

Alright, so Sonny has thrush hey, i will do some research for you.

[Oddly Shaded]

Alright i found a web site, and here is all the info:

Equine thrush is caused by anaerobic bacteria that, when trapped in moisture, can create a fungal infection that slowly eats away at the horse's hoof tissue, particularly the frog area. Most of the time this will create some mild discomfort, but as long as it is addressed quickly it rarely does anything more. Left unattended for a period of time the thrush can eventually make its way into the sensitive areas of the frog, causing a bit of bleeding from the frog.

Many horse owners become a bit gunshy with a horse's hoof and create false diagnoses of thrush the moment they notice a peeling frog or a strong scent. Peeling frogs or soles are not abnormal, and generally occur when a horse is due for a visit by the blacksmith. In addition hooves are wonderfully (or should that be dreadfully?) capable when it comes to trapping foul smelling bacteria, manure, etc., so an unappetizing scent during hoof cleaning isn't uncommon at all.

A hoof that is afflicted with thrush will exhibit soreness, black pus-like liquid as well as a scent that can send a skunk running. If you detect these symptoms you can either attempt to treat it yourself or call a blacksmith to assist you.

Now the good news… horse thrush is a paper tiger! The bacteria that causes thrush is anaerobic, which means it cannot survive when exposed to oxygen. This makes prevention a snap – unless your horse has health issues that makes him extremely vulnerable to thrush, you almost have to try to give your horse thrush. As long as you keep his stall shavings clean and dry as well as clean his feet with a pick regularly, the bacteria will be deader than a doorknob before it can even think of taking hold in your horse's frog. In the many years I have owned horses, not once has one of mine developed thrush – it's one of those common ailments that should be rare since a clean environment and air is enough to keep it away.

If thrush does manage to creep up on you and your horse, don't worry – treating it is actually fairly simple. I suggest first calling your farrier so that he can thoroughly clean and trim your horse's hooves (particularly the frog area). This will make it far easier for your horse's hooves to aerate, plus you can apply medication more directly to the infected areas.

Two products that are highly regarded by farriers for their effectiveness are Kopertox and Thrush Remedy by Absorbine, but just squirting some on the hoof generally isn't enough since the liquid may not reach all the nooks and crannies of the infected frog. Instead of squirting those products onto the infected area try applying the medication with a cotton swab. (Wrapping cotton around a stick or hoof pick does the trick.)

Thrush can be a dirty, smelly business to deal with, but luckily as long as you do not neglect it your horse will suffer no long-term problems. Of course since thrush is so easy to prevent just by keeping clean stalls and clean hooves, chances are high you'll never once be introduced to this black-hearted monster.

(This is shadepup now.)
So i guess the best thing you can do for Sonny is make sure she has clean feet and call a Farrier in to give you a hand.

[WeOnceLived]

I see. As it says it is easy to keep away. But when I started leasing Sonny her feet were horrible hadn't been trimmed for nine months and were full of thrush. My trainer said it was the worst she had ever seen(that's sayin' a lot). So when I asked the farrier he told me what to do about treatment wise which is what I've still been doing. (Why I'm wondering it won't go away). And I've heard that a copper deficiency can cause thrush. I try to keep her stall clean but she is such a pig of horse so she sometimes has wet sawdust. Her hoofs get trimmed when the should. So the diet thing is really the only other thing I could think of.

Commonly attributed to a lack of hygiene, research has shown us that there are actually a great many contributing factors to the onset of thrush. While unclean living conditions can breed bacteria, horses also seem to have developed thrush due to abnormal hoof growth, lack of hoof maintenance, or poor diet. Additionally, some veterinarians believe that thrush can be caused by poor circulation to the frog and disuse.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/4973/horse_health_caring_for_hooves_and.html

So do you think I should fork up some money and get some supplements for her? Or like ask the vet?

Sorry if I sound stupid...but anyone else I ask never has a real answer for me.

[Oddly Shaded]

Alright, i think your best buy is if you ask your local horse vet. Maybe get him out or just call him and describe what it looks like, how long its been like that, she may need a shot, or a fast working treatment. That should help. If you have any other questions feel free to ask, and if you need i will call my farrier, vet and just get them to give me a tip or two to help you out!

Shadepup

[WeOnceLived]

Ah Okay Thank You.

[MoonfallTheFox]

Rubbing the nose energettically can discourage biting. A gentle elbow when they turn to nip can also help. With the men, he needs to learn they are not to be feared, if he is afraid. Apples and carrots can really help, as can soft voices and slow movement.

If he bites men out of spite or hatred, he needs to be dominated. They need to assertively become the boss of the horse, so that the horse will look up to them. It sounds as though he has a dominance problem. It's common in ponies.



Oh, the evil thrush. It's a nighmare to get rid of. The drier the ground is the better, and her hooves need picked as much as possible, multiple times the better. A SMALL amount of bleach sprayed very carefully onto the frog can help a lot to harden the hoof and kill some of the bacteria. Don't do this if the inside of the hoof is exposed. It is more for prevention. There is a compress that is cometimes used, I can't remember what it is called. Ask your farrier and vet, and good luck. Stalls are heck for thrush prone horses.

[~Helix~]

Aha, I love horses. 8D I have no question, just thought I'd say that... xD

[Oddly Shaded]

Well able, maybe you could be an advisor, like i ask StarDancer. If you love horses you should know something to help with them. I have decided to recruit people by the way. But Able if you want you may.