Wrapping a horse's hoof with vet wrap to hold a thrush treatment in place
Wrapping a horse's hoof with vet wrap to hold a thrush treatment in place

Thrush Treatments

Black, foul-smelling frog? Here is what to put on it, what to wrap it with, and how to keep it dry so it does not come back.

Thrush Treatments

Thrush is a bacterial infection of the frog. It thrives where air cannot reach -- deep clefts, packed-in mud, a stall that stays damp. You will smell it before you see it, and the discharge is black and greasy rather than dry crumbly horn. Not sure that is what you are looking at? What is thrush in horses walks through telling it apart from white line disease and abscesses.

Treating it takes three things: get the foot clean and open, put an antiseptic on the affected tissue, and keep the environment dry enough that it cannot re-establish. Skip the third and you will be treating it again in a month. For the long version, read the best thrush treatment for horses, and your guide to horse hoof wraps for packing and wrapping.
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Start here: the 3-step routine

1. Clean. Pick out both clefts and the central sulcus daily. Thrush hides where the pick does not reach.

2. Treat. Apply an antiseptic directly to the affected frog, not the whole sole. Follow the label -- some are weekly, some are daily.

3. Dry. Clean, dry footing does more than any bottle. Wet, packed bedding undoes the other two steps.

How to treat thrush
When to call the vet

Lameness, heat in the foot, bleeding when you pick, or thrush that has not improved after two weeks of treatment. Deep sulcus infections can reach sensitive tissue and are not a home-treatment problem.

Not sure it is thrush?

Thrush is black, wet and smells. White line disease is a crumbly separation at the hoof wall. Abscesses come on suddenly and are painful. Our guide walks through telling them apart.

Read the guide
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Dura-Tech® Vet Flex 4" Bandage Wrap
$4.99
$1.99
Up to 60% off
Special Buy
A wrap that sticks to itself and nothing else. Dura-Tech® Vet Flex grips its own layers, so a bandage stays put without tape, pins or clips and peels off the hair without pulling. It stretches around a fetlock or a hock and applies even pressure along the leg, which is what first aid, a running bandage, a tail wrap or...
Schneiders Hoof Pick with Brush
$9.99
$3.99
Up to 60% off
• Handy and durable multi-use hoof pick
• Heavy duty stainless steel pick end 
• Brush helps remove debris around the frog easily
• Durable plastic with comfortable finger grips
• Measures:  5 ½”L with 2” bristles
• Blue only
 
Mustad Thrush Buster 2oz.
$16.99
$16.99
Here’s a thrush treatment so powerful that it lasts for up to eight days without reapplication…even in the wettest, muddiest terrain. Trushbuster stomps out thrush on contact. A single application not only relieves the agonizing, crippling effects of thrush, but dramatically reduces the chances of reinfection. Thrushbuster® forms a cleaner barrier and deters the penetration of dirt and manure into...
Farrier's Fix Hoof Oil 16oz
$29.99
$29.99
Farriers’ Fix has ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS and those who compete can be assured that it has tested negative under FEI guidelines. Farriers’ Fix 'works like Magic' in the words of my clients. Horses that were suffering from stone bruises or were trimmed too short, in many cases, were rideable the next day – the ultimate proof of a product that...
UltraFlex Flex Foam Hoof Wrap - Set Of 4
$79.99
$39.99
Up to 50% off
These plush, padded hood wraps are designed for supreme comfort and added protection when treating common hoof issues like thrush, abscesses, or bruises. Simply apply your chosen ointment to the hoof, secure it with vet wrap, and add these wraps for an extra layer of defense. Each wrap features thick felt padding on the bottom and sides with a textured...
Schneiders Hoof Pick
$4.99
$2.99
Up to 40% off
• Exceptional value that is worth a million!
• Only item horsemen cannot do without
• Heavy duty stainless steel pick end
• Plastic coated handle
• 5½“ long
• Color: Red
Kaeco Epsom Salt Poultice 20oz
$12.49
$12.49
• Provides soothing relief to soreness in muscles and joints
• Effectively draws out hoof abscesses and infections
• Reduces inflammation and soothes pain from sprains and bruises
• Can be uesd as a liniment or brace to relax muscles and decrease stiffness
• Very effective on reducing reactions from bug bites
• All the benefits of Epsom Salts in...
Coat Defense® Daily Preventive Powder Refill Bag - 64 Oz
$80.89
$80.89
A daily grooming powder from Coat Defense® that both treats skin ailments like mud fever, scratches, rain rot, and fungus, and acts as a dry bath or deodorant. • Safe, non-toxic powder is talc-free
• Eliminates the environment in which fungus and bacteria thrive
• Has alkaline properties to clean and deodorize the skin
• Can be used as a...
Absorbine Hooflex Magic Cushion Hoof Packing 4lbs
$58.39
$58.39
Magic Cushion® hoof packing is proven* to provide fast, soothing relief for overworked, overheated hooves. It helps supports hoof health in several ways, and starts working to reduce hoof heat within one hour. Magic Cushion is trusted by top farriers, and uses natural ingredients. It can be used as needed, or packed under a shoe and pad and left in...
Kopertox
$39.99
$39.99
Recommended as an aid in treating horses and ponies with thrush due to organisms susceptible to copper naphthenate. • Water resistant protection for the treatment of thrush
• Effective for treatment of thrush, hoof rot and ringworm
• Contains the active ingredient Copper Naphthenate (37.5%)
• 16 fl. oz. squeeze top bottle
• Made in the USA
EquiFit Pack-N-Stick Hoof Tape
$46
$46
Anatomically correct hoof tape holds hoof packing, poultice and medications securely in place. Eliminate the juggling act of unrolling and cutting tape while holding up your horse’s foot. Each piece of tape is pre-cut for an effortless single use application. Just pack the hoof and apply the tape. Press the edges against the hoof wall and you’re done. The Hoof...
Rebound Hoof Pack
$49.99
$49.99
The perfect formulation of tried and true ingredients will effectively bring relief for pain, soreness and inflammation of the hoof. Super sticky formula adheres to the hoof and eliminates wrapping and taping. Easy to use hoof packing relieves sore, tender feet after work outs, sensitivity after shoeing and helps draw abscesses. Contains Epsom salts with it drawing capabilities, Iodine as...

Treating Thrush in Horses

Thrush is caused by anaerobic bacteria that colonize the frog when it stays wet and packed. It is one of the most common hoof problems in horses and one of the most preventable. The classic signs are a black, greasy discharge in the clefts of the frog and a sharp, rotten smell that you will notice as soon as you pick the foot out.

What to use

Copper naphthenate products such as Kopertox and gentian-violet products such as Thrush Buster are the two long-standing topical treatments. Both are applied directly to the affected frog. For deeper or more painful cases, a medicated hoof packing held in place with a hoof wrap keeps the treatment against the tissue and keeps dirt out.

Keeping it from coming back

Recurrence is an environment problem. Pick feet daily, keep stalls and high-traffic gateways as dry as you can, and use a drying powder on horses that live in wet conditions. Horses with deep central sulci or contracted heels are more prone to it and need a closer eye through the wet months.

Schneiders carries thrush treatments, hoof packing, hoof wraps and hoof picks. If you are not sure what you are looking at, start with what is thrush in horses, which covers how to tell it apart from white line disease and abscesses. For a deeper read on the products themselves, see the best thrush treatment for horses and your guide to horse hoof wraps.