Warning: A horse at the county fair in Boise taught me about thrush in dry climates.

The owner swore it couldn't happen there, but the frog was soft and black. Anyone else see this in arid regions?

3 comments

3 Comments

Seen it more than a few times out here. People forget that a wet stall from a spilled bucket or a muddy wash rack is all it takes, even in the desert. You have to pick those feet and check the clefts, no matter what the weather is like outside. A dry climate just means you get surprised by it.

pat_park25d ago

Seen it more than a few times out here" - yeah, but isn't the real trick knowing when the hoof is actually wet enough to cause trouble? I've seen guys hose off feet and think they're good, but that moisture gets trapped in the frog clefts if you don't dry them right. Are you checking each foot with a towel after a wash or just trusting the desert air to do the work for you? Because I swear some horses here rot just as fast as they do back east, just takes longer to show up.

charles_chen931mo ago

Isn't it more about moisture than just mud?