# Disgusting Smell from Hooves



## rodriguezpoultry (Sep 23, 2010)

This isn't about Max, thank God, but there is another horse that I've "taken under my wing" if you will.

She is used as a play-date horse, but isn't cared for daily from what I can tell. I've started pampering her as she is an elderly horse and has a slight cough. 

I've been brushing her and her coat is shining, but today I decided to attempt to clean her hooves.

She lifted and at first I couldn't tell where her frog was at all. I just kind of guessed and wound up hitting it dead on. I felt for the crevices and it wound up the crevices were so packed up with dirt/mud/grass that it took me 5 minutes to clean out one hoof.  The frog seems to be somewhat "gooey" and is flaking off in some spots. I could have pulled some of the top layers off but figured I better not attempt it since I didn't know how accustomed she was to having her feet worked on.

On some of her hooves, I noticed that she had flaky white underneath this black. The black smelled somewhat bad, until I got to her right front. OMG. It smelled like rotten egg.

What on earth is that? I'm going to be telling the property owners ASAP so they can tell her owners. I don't think her hooves had been looked at in 6 months or more. The terrain is pretty rocky, so they're not really overgrown, but still longer than I'd want on my own horse.

Is there anything I can do in the meantime? I realize I probably shouldn't have done anything, but she looked uncomfortable on her feet. When I cleaned them out, she was actually trotting around.

Any other ideas? Will the air getting to the sides of the frog and sole of the hoof help?


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## goodhors (Sep 23, 2010)

Ahh yes, the aroma of Thrush in a hoof.  NOTHING quite like that smell, which sticks with you, on your hands and clothes, for a long time.

They sell Thrush-X, a copper based treatment for clearing up Thrush in hooves.  Just apply it to the bottom of the hoof, frog, crevices.  You probably want rubber gloves, maybe an old paintbrush to get it deeply in any cracks for fixing the horse.  These treatments will stain your clothing green forever, along with your skin.  SO BE CAREFUL applying it.

Thrush usually happens with dirty hooves, older horse doesn't run to self-clean.  Wetter days with mud, promote the fungus growth in deep parts of hoof.

Sounds like the old mare should be grateful you took a look, before she got REALLY bad Thrush going.  Thanks from me for taking the time to check her out!

Treatment with meds needs to be regular  according to the label on it.  Once a week probably won't be much help.  She may even get lame on the stinky foot, if it doesn't get cleared up soon.

Do a search on Thrush in Horses, lots of sites will come up for more information.  We see and hear about more cases when weather is very wet and muddy.  Hooves stay wet, let the fungus get started.  Dirty stalls can also be a cause of thrush, when horses don't get outside much.


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## rodriguezpoultry (Sep 23, 2010)

I'm more than willing to clean her hooves out and stuff, as long as the owners pay for the supplies. I have no issues just playing around with another horse. Lord knows I can't ride the poor thing...she's maybe 13 hands? Tiny little gal.


Luckily, I've already got some Thrush-X from when the farrier wanted me to use it on Max's bacterial infection on the outer wall of his front hooves.

Thanks for the help...it was just SO gross. Will the flaky frog go away with the application or do I need to do something special to that too?


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## michickenwrangler (Sep 23, 2010)

he new frog will grow in and replace the old part. When the farrier comes, he may be able to pare some of it away.

Distilled Vinegar OR diluted bleach are home remedies that will work too


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## goodhors (Sep 23, 2010)

Frogs and hooves not tended regularly, will start shedding or slough (pronounced sluff) off in flakes, layers or sometimes chunks.  A whole frog or chunk of wall coming off is not that uncommon if Farrier has not been trimming off the raggedy edges.  Horse is not usually in any pain from the shedding of parts.

Running on rough ground, exercising, usually takes care of these issues.  Does mare get any exercise?  At 13, she is just in her prime, should be an active horse in the field.  Has she been possibly foundered on the rich grass and being overweight?  Ponies do get foundered easily.

I wouldn't worry much about hooves being a bit long, thicker sole, out in the field care she has.  Those can be protective with rocky footing.  Many Farriers trim too short because that is what folks expect to see in a show ring setting.  Length on a hoof, lets her wear it off, without causing pain to the inner hoof structures.  Trims have names now, like "mustang roll" because wild horses wear hooves like that.  You might tell the owners that pony needs a trim, when you say she has Thrush.  Farrier with experience will see if she has any hidden problems when he trims her.


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## rodriguezpoultry (Sep 23, 2010)

goodhors, I have no idea how old she is...I'd guess around 20 years or so.

The 13 was her height, maybe 13 hands. She may even be smaller than that. 

The only exercise that I've seen her get is on when a young girl was on her. That was about a week ago? The girl was a bit too large for her which is why I "think" they are trying to sell her.

I doubt they'll be able to sell her. She only direct reins, has the cough and now the hoof problems. She'd be a great little pony for someone. Such a sweet demeanor.

I never realized how much easier it is with ponies than full-size horses. I'm 2 feet taller than her at the shoulder and you can just kind of man-handle her. I haven't had to do anything to restrain her...I think she trusts me. I'm the only one she'll walk up to to be haltered. 

I feel like such a sucker.

Thanks for the ideas guys!


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## ()relics (Sep 23, 2010)

I like to give them a little run down the blacktop to clean them up every once in awhile, bare footed of course...especially after a good rain or the ground has been muddy for a few days..


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## goodhors (Sep 24, 2010)

Sorry, for some reason I got her size confused with her age!.  

I would suggest taking pony for a walk on pavement, it will help dry and let any stuff in hoof fall out.  

I would NEVER recommend going at any speed on hard surfaces without some kind of traction devices on shoes!!  Having seen excited horses slip and fall, dancing about or going faster than a walk, pavement is NOT the best surface for quick gaits with your horse.  Road Rash on both horses and people, from sliding along, or even just landing on hard surface, takes a while to clear up.  Wounds are VERY painful, both before and after picking out the dirt and stones.

A suggestion if you feel like it, would be leading the pony around while riding Max thru the fields.  "Ponying" is the term for leading an equine from a ridden horse.  She would get the mileage of just walking around, helpful exercise for being plump will aid legs, hooves, digestion.  It always amazes me how much just getting horses moving at a walk for some distance helps ALL the parts.  You were probably already going for the ride, not much effort to halter and lead the pony along too.  

I always lead them from my right side, keeping nose even with my knee, use a longer cotton rope to prevent rope burns if you get into a situation.  NEVER let lead animal to get further ahead or behind the knee, so they can get in trouble with ridden horse.  Most catch on to being ponied quickly, like doing it.  Add a chain over the nose if she is pushy, gives extra control for stopping or endeavor to pull ahead.  I do it a lot with young horses to see the world a bit, get exercised but too young to ride.  Excellent for building strong legs and hooves going in long, straight lines.  Max will enjoy having her along too.


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## w c (Sep 24, 2010)

It sounds like thrush.

Sometimes horses get a little bit of it on untrimmed tissue and it's just superficial and doesn't cause much trouble.

But it can get so bad that it actually makes the foot deterioriate and rot.  So it really depends on how bad it is.

If it's not too bad and is just superficial, you can just pick out the hoof and cut off the ragged tissue around the frog and it is fine.

If it's still a mild case, but getting into some of the grooves of the foot and frog, a common remedy like koppertox will do.  It gets put on daily.  

If it's eaten into the foot, and the foot is now sore and tender, then it needs more work.  Usually a vet has to cut off the infected tissue and the foot kept dry and clean while it heals and grows new sound tissue.  The horse might need antibiotics, hoof packed, kept in from turnout, feet washed and cleaned each day, etc.


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## ()relics (Sep 24, 2010)

goodhors said:
			
		

> I would NEVER recommend going at any speed on hard surfaces without some kind of traction devices on shoes!!  Having seen excited horses slip and fall, dancing about or going faster than a walk, pavement is NOT the best surface for quick gaits with your horse.  Road Rash on both horses and people, from sliding along, or even just landing on hard surface, takes a while to clear up.  Wounds are VERY painful, both before and after picking out the dirt and stones..


shoes=slippery....barefooted=no slip...at least on blacktop...Don't be scared...


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## goodhors (Sep 24, 2010)

()relics said:
			
		

> goodhors said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Guess you have been lots luckier than the folks I rode with!

Slipping happened to both barefoot and shod horses without traction on their shoes, on blacktop.  Traction is carbide on shoes, small road studs tapped into shoes.  Now studded hoof boots are available too.

Walking on hard surfaces, blacktop or cement finishes is safest.  Never could understand why folks wanted to pound down the paved road after seeing those fallen horses and riders, some runaways that also fell.  Real hard to do First Aid when you are not carrying any supplies!  

You can ride any speed you like on pavement, but not something you want to advise others to do.  Are you wearing a helmet?  We had to go to the nearest house for an ambulance call on one wreck, head wound among others.  I figure if horse is 'slippy' then that surface is not a good place to add any speed.  Your choice how you ride.  Does keep your guardian angels busy!


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## ()relics (Sep 24, 2010)

helmet??? really??? yeah No...


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## rodriguezpoultry (Sep 24, 2010)

I won't be able to trot her on the pavement, unless I'm running beside her.

When I was younger, my aunt told me to "hurry" to the arena. I started trotting her mare down the asphalt. She slipped, just a tiny bit and she was barefoot. Scared the crap out of me. I will never do anything but a walk in asphalt. I don't like doing it on cement either, seems like it would hurt and would be a bit hard on the knees.

I know it hurts like heck when I attempt to jog on the asphalt, I can't imagine how much stress it would cause on a horse that weighs 5x more than myself WITH me on him.

That's just the way I view it though, I'm not that experienced of a horsewoman, so I know my limitations.


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## michickenwrangler (Sep 25, 2010)

Most Europeans (Brits especially) regularly trot on pavement

Relics, I nearly always wear a helmet. As an endurance rider, there have been a number of times trotting fast through the woods that my head has thunked on branches and I was always grateful I had one on.

Occasionally in competition I'll trot down a gravel road and some on trails we have to go a stretch down pavement or even cross it but I usually walk it.


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## w c (Sep 25, 2010)

Riding a horse at speed on a paved surface is not the best idea.  At the first barn I worked at, a girl had just gotten killed doing just that, though no one really knows what speed they were going.  Karen Campbell- they started the Karen Campbell memorial trophy in her memory.  She was with John Beech, and they were riding on the road, and her horse slipped and fell. He spent the rest of his life drinking himself to death.  So I don't think it's a good idea.

It's common to ride on the road in rural areas, and it's very common to ride without a helmet.

It's also common for people to get hurt doing that...even at slower speeds.  Horses simply are not robots, and drivers often do stupid (or intentional) dangerous things around horses.  

Whan Brits talk of 'road work' they may do some walking and occasionally jogging on paved surfaces*, a very small minority of people do more than that, but most 'road work' is on the grass verge or shoulder, admittedly a pretty firm surface, but not paved...what road work there was, was on rural roads, tar and chip, rather than concrete, and the traffic was nothing like it is in my area...LOL.  If I rode on the road here, the next thing you would hear was the schedule for my funeral, LOL.  You regularly hear of Amish getting killed here, driving or riding.

Traditionally work on a hard surface, walking in waves on the beach, liniments, wrapping and stropping were all thought to improve fitness.  So was long walk exercise or leading/ponying thought to fitten up horses.   I think many of the things we hear, such as 'a good grooming is as good for a horse's circulation as a good workout' are a little exaggerated..and I don't think anything really substitutes for the workout the back muscles get from carrying a rider.  I doubt walking in waves or walking on the road really does that much, I'm sure wrapping, while at times very useful, arose to conceal strained, puffy legs from a buyer, LOL.  Horse trading is the SECOND oldest profession, lol!

They're no less concerned about safety in Brittain than other countries; in fact, with Pony Club having a strong influence people may be MORE trained in safety.  

And there is no clear evidence that frequent work on a paved surface is beneficial overall, or necessary or superior to working on a hard surface of grass or clay.  

To be honest, many people's arenas are so hard and compacted, they need go no further than their own arena to give the horse a work out on a hard surface.  Trails are often that way too.  I think most people don't need to ride on the road even if they do want a work on a hard surface.

One study of a small group of race horses suggested a brief work on a hard surface every ten days might increase bone density, but it did not balance that against accidents and injuries to tendons and ligaments on the road, or to the potential for concussion if too often or on a paved surface.  In other words, it was just a study, not practical results.

* note that when they do even WALK on the road, the horses wear knee pads and all sorts of protection.


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## ducks4you (Sep 27, 2010)

michickenwrangler said:
			
		

> Most Europeans (Brits especially) regularly trot on pavement.


So do the Amish.  Once they paved the roads that they use they just worked their animals on it, and now they wear out their legs in doing so.  That's probably why they _all _get the reputation of being abusive.

Getting back to the post topic, I have heard from more than one farrier that this is caused by fungus.  Most often the fungus grows in a chronically wet abd dirty stall when the horse spends most of the time inside, but it can occur in a turnout where there is a lot of moisture, as in a really wet season, even if the turnout is picked clean.  The horse in question has probably spent time in both.  

Borium on shoes, and more recent devices that I've not used, can grip asphalt.   I wouldn't use them on a shod QH, since they love to plant their backlegs and turn on the forehand, thus stressing musculature on the back legs.
I try not to ride too fast on pavement.  I figure that if there is any chance of ME slipping on a surface, I shouldn't ride my horse on it, although I'm probably clumsier.


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## rodriguezpoultry (Sep 28, 2010)

Ah-ha!

After only a few days, the hooves seem a bit drier! It could be the actual weather, but the smell isn't as awful and the stuff is coming out easier as well!

I've been putting the Thrush-X on her hooves with a paintbrush every day (or at least, when she'll come up to me willingly. I refuse to chase a horse down.)

Woohoo! I feel better! She's started following me around. I'm sure it's because I'm the one that gives treats. I'm not above bribing...


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## goodhors (Sep 28, 2010)

rodriguezpoultry said:
			
		

> Ah-ha!
> 
> After only a few days, the hooves seem a bit drier!
> 
> Woohoo! I feel better! She's started following me around. I'm sure it's because I'm the one that gives treats. I'm not above bribing...


If bribes work, then that is what you do to get your hands on them!

Congrats on being persistant in putting it on her, and getting good results already.


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## rodriguezpoultry (Oct 3, 2010)

*WOOT!*

The hooves no longer have the smell, there is no white powder when I clean her hooves...she's doing darn well! Daily application worked! 

I'm going to start doing a weekly application for both my horse and the Appy pony.


Found out how much they're selling the pony for... $1,000. She's as close to bombproof as you're gonna get though and now with her hooves in good shape...I'm gonna be sad when she goes. 


She only comes to me though...  They trimmed her hooves up today while I had her caught up. I figured she was gonna hate me but she was following me around as soon as the owners left.


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