We’re three months deep into two thousand and twenty and our world is facing a global crisis.
The majority of the population is strongly suggested to exercise social distancing in order to flatten the curve to this virus.
With that being said, all us horse people are homebound and we (I) have this lovely idea that we (I) will finally have the TIME for our (my) horses to get them exercised and toned up.
Such a perfect idea!
Working a full-time job and raising children can really be time-consuming… who would have guessed?!
Then Mother Nature whispers, “Hold my beer.”
In Arizona, our Spring showers have hit with such vengeance! So, while I had these great plans of riding and exercising my mares in my downtime the weather had other arrangments.
My biggest pet peeve with rainy conditions is that my mares tend to acquire thrush. They are kept in a large corral roughly a few acres in size but it seems no matter what kind of footing they are in, they acquire thrush. Some horses are more prone to it than others.
Thrush is most often described as a bacterial infection, Spherophorus Neaophorus, that occurs in the hoof during wet weather conditions. A hoof infected by thrush will give off a very distinct rotting smell as well as ooze a black liquid. Thankfully though, thrush is easily cured! Most often than not it will also pose no serious health problems if it is treated in a reasonable amount of time.
Managing thrush during these Springtime showers is simple with this easy routine:
- Start by cleaning the hoof out twice a day, morning and afternoon with a hoof pick.
- After either a morning or afternoon cleaning, pour a splash full of bleach in the hoof and hold it up for a few seconds so the bleach can reach all the surfaces of the hoof. I do not recommend this process to be done multiple times a day as the bleach can dry out the hoof if done too often.
There are many thrush products on the market but they serve the same purpose as bleach so I prefer to use what I already have on hand.
With this course of action, the thrush should begin to subside in a few days and the smell should be noticeably reduced. To reduce the reoccurrence of the thrush I would suggest keeping their footing as clean and dry as possible. Again, when it’s raining for days on end I do understand the frustration of dry footing when you don’t have access to inside a barn.
Now that my mares are on the mend I can begin to exercise them between rain storms while I practice my social distancing. If you have dealt with thrush and have any remedies to cure it, please reach out and let me know. I’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment below or shoot me a message on my personal Instagram @unbridledmama.
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Emily Griffin is a mama to two stunning daughters, a wife to her hunky husband, an experienced equestrian, and an Arizona native. She resides in a very small town in Southeastern, Arizona. Her days consist of raising children, everything equine, reading/ writing, and balancing the fine line between motherhood and insanity. She appreciates nature, the smell of a satisfying rain, and the lovely sunsets the Arizona deserts have to offer. Her life is unbridled in every sense of the word and she wouldn’t have it any other way! Follow her on Instagram at @unbridledmama.
