Winter Mud Creates Health Hazards

 

Winter brings lots of rain and snow to North Carolina. While the snow can be beautiful, what it leaves behind is less so. The increased winter precipitation creates many issues with mud on our farms. When managing horses in muddy conditions, there are several considerations to keep in mind.

Excess moisture from the over-saturated ground creates the perfect environment for hoof conditions like thrush. Thrush is an infection in the frog of the hoof and is characterized by a foul odor and a black discharge coming from around the frog. If left untreated, the infection can eat away at the frog, exposing more sensitive tissue below. Prevention is the best approach for thrush. Cleaning out hooves regularly and providing areas with dry footing are ways to avoid this issue. If you do notice signs of thrush, move the horse to a dry and clean location. There are treatments available that will kill off the bacteria and fungi that cause the infection. It can take several days of treatment for the infection to die off and even longer for the frog to recover.

When constantly exposed to moisture, wet hooves usually become softer hooves. When horses’ feet get softer, they don’t hold on to shoes as well. Combined with the suction power of mud, lost shoes are a common issue in these conditions. Additionally, wet feet are more prone to issues with abscesses and bruises. All of these can result in lame horses. 

Winter moisture doesn’t just impact hooves. The mud can cause a problem with the skin, called “scratches” or “mud fever”. This bacterial and/or fungal infection is caused by excess moisture especially on the pasterns, fetlock, and even up the canon bone. Any horse can get it, but horses with white feet or heavy feathering are more prone to getting scratches. Keeping the horse clean and dry helps avoid this issue. Early detection is important for treatment. Check your horse's legs regularly when in wet and muddy conditions. Horses with heavy feathering may benefit from having their legs clipped to avoid trapping the moisture around the skin. If your horse does develop these scabs, then make sure to avoid picking off the scabs. Gently bathe the area with an anti-bacterial or anti-fungal shampoo. Topical treatments prescribed by your veterinarian can be applied to dry, clean skin. In extreme cases, a vet may prescribe antibiotics or steroids to help eliminate the infection.

Beyond the increase in conditions like thrush and scratches, mud can create hazardous footing. Horses can easily slip in the mud, causing injury. When frozen, mud can be just as dangerous, as the uneven ground can cause bruising to the hoof sole and be a tripping hazard. 

As with any time of year, always monitor your horse to catch any injuries or diseases before they become a more serious issue. Prevention is always the preferred approach. Keeping horses as clean and dry as possible will help prevent many mud-related issues this winter.

Health Checks

February is a good month to take care of some health essentials for horses.  With the trail ride and horse show season fast approaching, it is a good time to have a Coggins test done.  The Coggins test checks a horse for the presence of Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) antibodies.  Of course, we want those tests to come back negative, and 99% of them do.  Those test results are important to anyone who will be taking their horses off the farm to locations where horses form several areas will be comingled – places like horse shows and trail rides. Those negative Coggins papers must accompany each horse wherever they go.  As mentioned, February is a great time to get the Coggins test done and get the results back before transporting horses.  The Coggins papers are good for one year, and the process must be repeated.

Some counties hold Coggins Clinics in cooperation with a veterinarian to help folks with just a few horses get the test done.  Check with your county’s NC Cooperative Extension center to see if any of these clinics are scheduled.  There will be two of these held in Granville County this year.  One is on Saturday, February 15, and the second will be on Friday afternoon, February 21.  Call the Granville County NC Cooperative Extension Center at (919) 603-1350 for details.

These clinics also offer vaccinations for the common equine diseases.  The ones most often made available in this area include eastern/western equine encephalitis + tetanus, rabies, West Nile Virus, flu + rhinovirus, and strangles. Check with your veterinarian to make sure that any additional vaccination needs are met as the core vaccines vary across the country.

While at a clinic, or when the veterinarian visits your farm, it is a good idea to get a routine health check for the horse. Most veterinarians will include this if done in conjunction with a Coggins test or when providing vaccinations.  They will also check teeth and make sure that there are no issues there.  If teeth need to be floated, that will likely be a separate appointment at the veterinarian’s clinic.

One last item – be sure to keep a check on your horse’s hooves.  We are experiencing a long period of mud, so be sure to check feet frequently.  Keep them cleaned out and make sure that no infections develop. Common things to check for are obsesses, thrush, fungus growing on the lower legs, heat in the hoof wall or sole, general lameness, or sensitivity.  If some work needs to be done on the feet, be sure to call the farrier sooner than later.  Before riding the trail or entering the ring at a horse show, be sure that the feet are good to go.

Wet Weather Can Lead to Hoof Issues

It seems like since Hurricane Florence hit in September we have not had a break from wet weather. Thrush is commonly associated with wet conditions and poor management. It can be seen in horses who are allowed to stand in paddocks, run-in sheds, or stalls that have excessive manure and moisture. It can also occur in horses who do not get their feet cleaned out regularly. However, thrush can be seen in horses who are never allowed to stand in manure. 

Thrush usually occurs within the frog (the wedge-shaped soft structure of the hoof) and the sulci (the grooves next to and in the middle of the frog). It is caused when excessive dirt and debris get trapped around the frog creating a perfect environment for anaerobic bacteria and fungi. Thrush is characterized by having a strong pungent odor along with a thick black or grey discharge/decaying tissue being present when picking out your horse's feet. The frog will be softer and sometimes tender to touch. If thrush is left untreated it can get into the sensitive tissues in the foot causing lameness similar to that caused by an abscess. 

Thrush can be prevented by picking out your horse's feet on a regular basis. It will also help to keep manure picked up and the area dry where your horse may stand for an extended period of time, such as a stall or run-in shed. 

The bacteria and fungi that cause thrush are not hard to kill so an antiseptic, such as betadine, can be used. Another option is to use a copper sulfate solution. Follow label instructions for the length of time to treat the infected frog. 

Thrush is a disease that is common when conditions are wet, but with proper management can be prevented. You can always contact your veterinarian and/or farrier if you have questions about diagnosing and treating this disease. 

 

Hoof Abscesses

          One morning you head to the barn to feed and your favorite horse comes up three-legged lame.  I’m not talking a little limp but fully, hardly weight bearing lame!  He was perfectly fine and 100% sound just the evening before. One of my most embarrassing memories (yet most educational moments) was when I called the vet to the barn absolutely certain the mare I had just brought in had broken her hip during the night out in the pasture.  The vet watched her hop out of her stall, picked up her foot, dug around for about fifteen seconds and told me to pack her a few days.  And magically the mare (who I was adamant had a broken hip) was miraculously standing weight-bearing on that foot now! Lesson learned – always start examining a lame horse from the hoof up. 

           Hoof abscesses happen when bacteria becomes trapped in the sensitive hoof tissue and develops a build-up of infection that causes painful pressure against the solid hoof wall or sole. There are different ways this can occur:

•            Foreign matter such as gravel, dirt or even sand penetrates and travels through the sole-wall junction (the white line) or the sole of the foot
•       A deep sole bruise from stepping on a sharp object such as a stone or stick or glass
•          A horseshoe nail, often called a “hot”  or “close” nail, that is driven inside or close to the white line area of the hoof wall
•         Wet weather or wet dirty stalls that cause hoof walls to soften for bacteria to enter
•         Dry weather that create brittle feet that may crack
•           Untrimmed feet that have long toes or crushed heels that stress the white line area

      Initial signs of an abscess other than lameness include a pounding fetlock pulse, that foot being warmer than another, and even swelling in the pastern and fetlock area.  Using hoof testers, your veterinarian can usually locate the area of the abscess and open that area to allow just enough room for drainage and relieve the pressure. It is then important to encourage drainage of the infection and prevent any dirt or debris to enter the opened tract by keeping the foot wrapped with a medicated dressing such as Animalintex Poultice or a povidone pack with Epsom Salts.  Ichthammol or Magna Paste are other good products that can be used as drawing salves.  It is important to keep the hoof packed until the draining stops and the tract is dry to prevent further infection.  (Duct tape is a good choice to keep the hoof dry and the packing material in place.) On occasion, a stubborn abscess may require soaking in a mixture of warm water and Epsom salts to encourage drainage but that should be used only as necessary to prevent the hoof wall and sole from becoming too soft.

           

By the time a horse exhibits signs of an abscess, the infection has already developed and is sitting there festering. If left unattended, hoof abscesses can spread into other areas of the hoof such as the coffin bone or navicular area.  Very serious issues then quickly develop so it’s best to consult with your veterinarian even in the simplest of abscesses to avoid a more serious and costly problem that may even result in long term unsoundness in your horse.

Finding the Right Farrier

Finding the right farrier for you and your horse can sometimes be difficult.  It is my hope that this post will help you understand more about what you should be looking for in a farrier during the decision-making process.

One of the best ways to find a good farrier is by word of mouth. However, if you have just moved to an area or do not know many horse owners to ask, the best resources are your veterinarian and other industry professionals such as your county extension agent.  Additional resources for locating a farrier include the North Carolina Horseshoers Association and the Horse Section of NCDA&CS to name a few.  Here are a few points to consider when searching for the right farrier:

Education. Some farriers enter the profession through formal education, some through apprenticeship, and some through a combination of the two. Regardless, a farrier should be knowledgeable about their field. Anyone can trim and shoe horses in the U.S. because no licensing or certification is required. Farriers should be well-versed in equine anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics and should be able to read a radiograph of the foot. Many good farriers will continue their education through reading and or attending clinics, seminars, and conferences. Ask if the farrier belongs to any organizations, for example the North Carolina Horseshoers Association.

Experience. A farrier's experience is also important. Be sure to ask how long they have been trimming or shoeing horses, whether they have been doing it regularly, and if they have any areas of specialization. It is important to match the farrier's education and background to your needs. A normal, sound horse, used for occasional trail rides does not need the same level of expertise as an upper level show horse or a horse with lameness problems. Keep in mind that some farriers specialize in a particular breed or riding discipline.

Horsemanship. Observe how the farrier interacts with horses. Does the farrier spend time watching how the horse moves and lands on his feet; do they carefully look at and assess the foot; and does the farrier work quietly and calmly around the horse? These considerations not only affect the quality of the farrier's work, they can impact the safety of all involved. Equally important is ensuring your horse stands well for the farrier and is well behaved.

Attitude. Make sure a prospective farrier enjoys their work, does not rush, pays attention to detail, and seems to care about the welfare of the horse and owner. Ensure the farrier is punctual and reliable with appointments, and calls when running late. Finally, make sure they are willing to work in cooperation with a veterinarian, if necessary.

Communication. Choose someone who is easy to communicate and get-along with. This should include conversations regarding the owners goals, the horses' needs, and the owners financial situation. Your farrier should be willing to discuss and or explain the trimming or shoeing process. Make sure they are easy to reach during an emergency situation. Farriers and horse owners should work together cooperatively and share mutual respect.

Cost. Cost will vary by region and the horse's needs. Ask other horse owners in your area or discipline what they are paying for similar services. Never choose a farrier based on cost alone. The important issue is not the cost, but the quality of service received. A more experienced farrier can be expected to charge more than someone new to the profession.

Sources: Krishona Martinson, PhD, University of Minnesota and Kim Otterson, County Line Farm

Link to Original Article: http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/horse/care/finding-a-farrier/