My mentor told me to always check for thrush under the heel bulbs, even on clean looking horses

I thought he was being too careful until I found a bad case on a show horse last week. The owner kept the stall spotless, but the horse had deep pockets of black gunk that smelled awful. I almost missed it because the hoof looked perfect from the top. Has anyone else been surprised by thrush in a well-kept horse?

3 comments

3 Comments

luna8911mo ago

Wow, that's a great catch. It makes me wonder if certain shoeing or trimming styles could make those heel bulbs trap more moisture. I'm definitely going to be more thorough from now on.

the_xena1mo ago

Totally, a close trim can leave them exposed. I keep a little extra hair there as a barrier, seems to help.

evan_campbell1mo ago

What about those rolled toe shoes?