# apple cider vinegar on hooves?



## Bec

I use a soak of copper sulphate (blue powder) and water on my mares hooves once a month in the wetter months as a preventative for thrush and greasy heel. I put the hoof in it for about 2-3 minutes and make sure not to get it on your hands, wear gloves and dry the hoof once you're done. I would see something acidic working, such as apple cider vinegar. While I have heard of apple cider vinegar being used to soak feet...I have not heard of it as a treatment for thrush. But, anything that changes the pH of the environment that the thrush lives in will most likely kill it to a degree...the questioin is....how successful is it.

For the treatment of thrush I put 1/8th bleach into a squirt/spray bottle of water, spray once a day and make sure the hoof is picked out and clean every day. It should go away within 1 week, if it doesn't i'd get a vet/farrier in to have a look and prescribe something a bit more 'strong' to get rid of the infection.

Also if you really want to go to maximum of preventing it, keep the horse out of wet/muddy areas and try to keep the manure out of the area where it is as it is generally caused by lack of air and an infection of some sort. It starts off superficial, and if left untreated can surmount to something else. 


Cheers.


----------



## NorthernMama

I never had any luck with ACV against thrush. I think it's because it doesn't stick. As soon as that hoof hits the ground, the ACV's job is done. I routinely apply a 50/50 triple antibiotic/zinc mixture and that seems to be working for me.


----------



## dressagebelle

I have used vinegar, not bleach only because I don't have any clothes that I don't care about getting bleach stains on if I accidentally miss, but I was told by several people actually to use dawn dish soap, since it is an anti bacterial soap, and scrub the undersides of the hoof with it, and it helps kill off thrush. Now I was cautioned that it only works on the beginning stages of thrush, but if the thrush is really bad, it won't kill enough of the bacteria. It's a relatively cost effective way to combat thrush, and easy to use. Just get a hoof pick with a brush on the back side, and put a bit of dawn on the hoof, and use the brush to scrub it in, make sure that it gets into the frog, and all the cracks and crevices, as well as around the edge of the hoof.


----------



## Gidget

thanks. my horse doesn't have thrush but i was curious


----------



## PaintHorseMares

If it's dry and you pick the hooves, you really shouldn't need anything to prevent thrush. If it's very wet, all the old timers (including me) use betadine (iodine) on the sole and frog. It's cheap and effective.


----------



## dressagebelle

Hm..maybe our place was just too wet, or something, but I used betadine solution on all the horses at my last place on a daily basis, for a month and a half, and there was absolutely no improvement on their thrush, and they did have dry places to stand as things started drying out. But thats just my experience.


----------



## rockinrobin4115

Interesting stuff! I might have to try some of this stuff...small problem with thrush and scrathes at certain times of the year (like now haha!) but my mare won't eat apple cider vinegar in her feed either...picky girl LOL


----------

