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TheHorse.com THE HORSE September 2017
of thrush in moist seasons and regions.
"Standing in mud all the time is not
healthy for feet," she says, suggesting
owners design their paddocks with raised
areas for loafing sheds or higher spots
where horses can get out of the mud.
"Another problem is feeding round
bales, with horses always standing in
the wet muck and wasted hay around
the feeder while they eat," Rucker adds.
"Even if the horse owner or farrier treats
the frog for thrush, if the horse goes back
to the same wet, dirty environment, it
can't get better."
But don't be too quick to lock your
horse up in a clean, dry stall. Movement
and exercise are also key to frog health.
"For a healthy foot, horses should be able
to move when they want to and be able to
walk on different surfaces," says Bowker.
Sermersheim agrees, saying the most
unhealthy frogs he encounters are on
pasture pets that aren't exercised. "The
frogs look great on horses that get ridden
several times a week," he says.
A horse trimmed regularly that is in
consistent exercise and isn't fetlock-
deep in mud will have the best shot at a
healthy frog, he says.
When the Frog Suffers
A variety of factors, ranging from poor
management to conformation to genetics,
can cause frog problems and resulting
lameness.
An irregular trimming schedule, poor
hygiene, and wet conditions, for instance,
can all cause necrosis (tissue death) and,
as we've described, thrush . Sermersheim
says the remedy is a proper trim and
balance and exercise. "We can use a lot of
topical treatments to retard thrush, and
they all work—as long as horse owners
commit to doing it every day—but regular
exercise is even better," he says. "It creates
more blood flow and also enables the foot
to clean out when the horse is moving
around."
Horses with club feet or contracted
heels might have recessed frogs . "When I
see a foot that is very contracted and the
frog is recessed up high in the foot, with
thrush present, my goal is to get good
weight-bearing re-established for the
frog," which is crucial for blood flow and
support, says Nelson.
With these horses Nelson says she
STEP BY STEP
The frogs on club feet might be recessed and
require special trimming and support.
COURTESY
DR.
AMY
RUCKER
