Natural Treatments for Thrush

  Thrush is a hoof infection that many horse owners are aware of. It is caused by not properly caring for the hooves, especially in a wet, muddy environment, or by not mucking out the horses stall and or not changing the bedding often enough. This buildup of moist debris allows bacteria, commonly Fusobacterium necrophorum, to grow in the hoof. The result is a frog with a putrid-smelly, greasy black substance coming from. If caught early enough, you can stop the infection from spreading to inside of the hoof, causing lameness. A good way to prevent thrush is by regularly scheduling your farrier visits and making sure your horse's paddock and stall is clean and dry.

 If your horse gets thrush, the first thing you have to do is get him to a dry, clean environment. Make sure to pick out his hooves daily. Thus prevents more bacteria from building up. A helpful strategy is to use a popsicle stick to clean the frog and heel bulbs.

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 You should also make sure you disinfect to the kill the bacteria. According to Melissa Shelton, DVM, you apply several drops of Thieves oil blend directly to the affected area two to four times a day or as often as needed. Other oils you can apply are cassia, cinnamon, eucalyptus globulus, lavender, lemongrass, marjoram, melaleuca, alternifolia, mountain savory, ocotea, oregano, black pepper, and thyme. You can also use the following oil blends in addition to the Thieves oil blend: Abundance, Exodus II, Melrose, Purification, R.C.(Respiratory Congestion), Thieves Household Cleaner, and Thieves Spray.

 It is important that you use at least one of these oils several times a day on the infected hoof. Apply several drops of the oil directly onto the infected and clean out the hoof. Also, it is important to talk to your farrier if your horse gets thrush, as he may be able to help by shoeing your horses(if he isn't already) and trimming his hooves regularly.