Dear Heath / No Thrush,
I am looking forward to receiving my Release [Muscle Wash]. I have had such incredible results with No Thrush that I am pretty certain that I will see great results with Release as well.
My gelding could have been the poster horse for No Thrush. When I purchased him in April of 2011 I had no idea that I was also buying the worst case of thrush I had encountered in almost 40 years of horse ownership. He also had the worst case of thrush that two farriers AND two vets had seen in their entire careers. The thrush had eaten his frog and was working hard on destroying his digital cushion in all four hooves. All of the experts agreed that my gelding would never be sound and that the best thing to do was euthanize him.
I was not willing to give up.
We had big plans for that horse!
I tried almost every thrush product on the market and many homemade remedies that are not on the market. I battled that thrush for SEVEN long months. There would be slight improvement, then he would be back to being lame. Picking his hooves became dangerous because his hooves were so sore. I learned that he was Insulin Resistant and that IR horses are prone to thrush. I changed his diet but the thrush continued. I was losing hope.
Then one day I saw another boarder poofing some stuff on her gelding’s hooves. I asked her what it was and she told me it was this great stuff called “No Thrush.” I had seen the stuff somewhere online and had considered trying it, but didn’t because I had already spent HUNDREDS of dollars on other thrush remedies that did not work. She told me that if I ordered No Thrush and if I did not like it, she would buy whatever I had left in the bottle for what I paid for the full bottle. She would even reimburse me for shipping. I felt like I could not lose, so I ordered a bottle that night.
I received my first bottle of No Thrush and really put it to the test the very first day. It was pouring down rain and my gelding was standing fetlock deep in yucky mud. I poofed his hooves like the video showed and left convinced that I had just wasted my time and money.
The next day I thought differently. I picked his hooves and immediately noticed that his hooves did not smell foul. He did not seem so tender when I scraped the mud out of his hooves. Intrigued, I re-poofed his hooves that day. And the next day. And for the next couple of months. His frogs grew back. His lameness went away.
Excited, I booted him with Renegade hoof boots and started riding him. I started training him. I started competing him. I did several endurance rides and also some competitive trail rides. I did parades and obstacle competitions. I trail rode him thousands of miles over the next couple of years in seventeen different states. He won his very first ECTRA competitive trail ride! He became the Number Six NATRC (Novice Division) horse east of the Mississippi River! He became the Number Ten ACTHA (Pleasure Division) horse in the whole state of Alabama!
And he did it without a single lame step.
Unfortunately, my gelding’s story stopped last summer. About four months ago he had a bizarre colic episode and had to be euthanized.
About a month after his death I acquired a little rescue mare. I did not know that she had a locked up sacrum when I got her. The chiropractors have done what she can and she is sound, but the little mare still has muscle spasms in her lower back and hip area. They say there is nothing they can do for the spasms. They say that the mare will likely be a pasture ornament for the rest of her life. They say that she will always have the spasms.
Maybe she will.
Maybe she won’t.
I am going to see if Release can make a difference. And if it does, you will be the first to know! And if it doesn’t, then I can honestly say that I have tried everything worth trying.
Thank you for reading. And thank you for giving my gelding a couple of good years of life.
Sincerely,
Sheri D
This is worth a few moments of any horseperson’s time.
We received an email today from a good customer we had spoken to in the past. She provided pics The quick backstory is that Mrs. C is from B.C. Canada and late in January, she bought NO THRUSH Powder (AKA: NT DRY in Canada) to use on 4 horses with significant sulcus thrush.
Her email today said that she had great success on all the horses, except had trouble with one foot. It wouldn’t seem to firm up the way the others did. Then a few days ago she was cleaning feet and suddenly her pick dropped down into and created the hole in the sulcus that you see in the photos. It was bleeding and messy. She determined it was not a blown abscess, and asked for advice on what we thought this was and if she could use her NO THRUSH Powder to treat it.
This letter below will take you through the entire process with a Plan A as well as backup plan A.2 (if necessary.)
CLARITY NOTE: The before/after photo in the pics is not Mrs. C’s horse. This is the photo that I sent to her and which I mention in my response below.
__________
“Good Morning Mrs. C:
“The short answer is:
Yes, you can use NT Dry for this issue. The fact that you can’t get this heel/frog firmed up using NT over these 4 months means that there is definitely an infection inside/underneath the tissue.
Long answer:
I looked back at our emails from January and reviewed the pics from back then. Those pics showed a typical thrush-created split between the heel bulbs. Now the horse has no heel crack. It appears that what has happened is that one of those old heel cracks closed up and encased a pocket of thrush…. FYI; When I’m doing customer demonstrations I show folks how to be quite aggressive when getting NT powder into the sulcus crack. I will wiggle my hoofpick side-to-side and really manipulate the tissue. The idea is to allow the tissue to regrow from the bottom, but not let it prematurely close from the top. This overgrowth is not normally a problem, but it happens. I’m sorry that I didn’t mention this protocol to you when we last spoke.
I’m guessing the thrush pocket has been active for a while, which is why the sulcus is now detaching from the frog (the area you circled in yellow.) Now it has finally made it to the surface and “suddenly” appeared.
So, to the point… If this was my horse, this is what I’d do for Equine Sulcus Thrush:
Do a good clean of the foot. Since you already did an Epson salt soak, and you feel that it doesn’t appear to be an abscess, I wouldn’t do more soaking or washing. This will just give the bacteria the moisture it needs to thrive.
Use your NT powder and puff it into the hole/opening of the wound, and really work it into the cracks around the detaching sulcus area. (Be sure to also use it in the clefts around the frog). and then Scrub it in with a stiff hoof brush.
Add a little more powder on top and then do the same duct tape process you were doing. I like to add some cotton batting between the foot and tape to ensure the powder pops around in there all day long. If possible, change this every day for several days.
The goal is to “Draw out”, “Dry up” and “Firm Up” as quickly as possible.
In the ideal world, this process will draw out all the bacteria that was exposed when that hole opened up, and full regrowth will occur (20-50 days) to become the dimple we are looking for.
The potential concern would be that the bacteria pocket has expanded throughout the interior parts of the frog. So…. if in a few weeks you don’t feel that the frog/heel is firming up as it did with all your other horses, we may have to go to plan A./2
Heel crack test for thrush.
In that case, here is what I would do to be proactive…….
After several days of doing the NT / Duct tape, when the frog has firmed up a bit, I’d get my farrier in and start slowly trimming away the detached sulcus. That tissue is trying very hard to become necrotic and his body will ultimately shed it. You will just be helping it along.
NOTE: I have attached a before/after pic so you can see what I mean about trimming away the necrotic tissue. In the “After” picture, the sulcus looks dished out and has become a “dimple.”
Continue the NT process. Really, really get the powder into all those little cracks in the sulcus tissue. (At some point when everything is very firm you can stop the duct tape wrapping.. But stay steady with the dusting.
You or your trimmer keep paring down the sulcus whenever you can. At some point, you will hit the pocket of ingrown infection and can dust it directly with NT.
Keep dusting until the hole/wound becomes a dimple and is completely covered with hide.
After that, I suggest keeping up a preventative NT dusting a few times a week, since we know this horse is prone to thrush and infection.
Long-winded there! Hope this helps, Mrs. C. Call any time I can help.”
“PRO TIP from a farrier” Here a farrier is showing us how to use No Thrush under the pads and hoof packing, which will help keep the frog and sole firm and “un-mushy.” …..
Are you using pads, hoof packing, hoof gels, or silicone on your horse’s feet? Add NO THRUSH POWDER to the process to help prevent the frog and sole from becoming a mushy mess. It will significantly improve the overall foot health and comfort of a padded horse.
So what exactly does the No Thrush® do?
1. It absorbs any existing moisture “before” it gets sealed in. (If you are also using a heat gun to dry things up, use that before you apply the powder.)
2. It creates a “dry” barrier between the foot and the gel-pad.
3. It keeps the integrity of the frog and sole to dry up and stay firm, and helps prevent the “mushiness.”
4. It battles bacteria during the entire showing cycle because the powder is locked inside with any thrush that may already be in there.
NOTE: No Thrush is not caustic so it won’t damage live tissue. One last thing: Above we have mainly discussed the gels and silicones. However, if you are using any other kind of pad, you will be able to puff No Thrush powder under the shoe from the back side. Just stick the tip of the bottle between the bulbs and blow it inside. Do this every few days. This will ensure that the powder is popping about in there all day long keeping things firm, dry, and thrush free.
Here we have cut/pasted just a few of the wonderful No Thrush reviews at www.ValleyVet.com.
Great product!!
April 19, 2021 by CONNIE B.
“I have used this product for years now. My horses frog and central sulcus looks great!”
December 27, 2020 by JL (United States)
“Works well on “scratches” leg fungus too.”
Great product!
May 19, 2020 by Karen L. (WA, United States)
“This is my go-to product for my horse who tends to get thrush in our wet Washington environment. The powder makes it easy to push up into all the crevices and it works better than any other product I’ve used.”
A Better & Faster Way to Beat Thrush!
March 10, 2020 by NONA J. (GA, United States)
“Works so much faster than liquid Thrush Buster. It dries the Hoof, Frog & Bulb through desiccation. Thrush is a anaerobic microbe that thrives in wet, non-oxygenated environments. Dry oxygenated environments kill Thrush.”
Highly recommend!!
March 23, 2019 by Jan
“A great, more natural product!! Helped horse heal from scratches in less than one week and hot spots on a friends dog!!”
Will never be without this
January 27, 2018 by Kaykaypee
“I purchased a horse with some of the worst sulcus thrush I have ever seen. Look at the examples on he products website – his feet looked like that. My results were just like the pictures too. You must use as directed and you should have the same results.”
October 2, 2017 by VICKI (CA, United States)
“Quickly knock out thrush in deep crevices.”
Verified Buyer
“Great buy”
February 9, 2017 by MYRA K. (KY, United States)
“This is easier to use than the liquid thrush products.”
Verified Buyer
“Great buy”
October 3, 2016 by LISA M. (IN, United States)
“The only product to successfully resolve deep thrush.”
By far, the best for thrush!
August 10, 2016 by Nemo
“My Irish Hunter has suffered from chronic thrush for the past couple of years. I’d use a product (pick almost ANY liquid, I used it), and none completely got rid of the thrush or improved the health of his hooves. He had chronic sore feet when I rode him.
On Easter, my horse underwent colic surgery. It was touch and go for 10-days at New Bolton (they did a superlative job), and once he was home again, he had to have stall rest for two months. As clean as I tried to keep his stall, I knew I’d be dealing with horrible thrush. His feet were quite stinky. I first tried a gel product that was well regarded. Worthless. Then I found No Thrush and read up on it. I liked the concept of a dry treatment that would not only treat the condition, but also deal with the cause — moisture trapped within the hoof and frog crevasses. Because of the severity, I treated him nearly every day for two weeks. I could immediately see the difference.
At three weeks, my farrier came to pull his shoes and trim. He immediately remarked how much better the feet looked and how much healthier they seemed. Months later, with regular use, two of the four frogs are completely healed — no cracks — and the other two cracked frogs are almost completely healed. One has been a little more stubborn than the others, but it’s coming along with no sign of thrush.
The best part: I just rode Romeo for the first time since surgery, yesterday. He was like a different horse. Walked out on the gravel farm road, no hesitation, no dead-dog lame gait. I feel he was saved, not only from his extremely serious colic surgery but from years long, chronic thrush that never seemed to abate. BUY THIS PRODUCT. You won’t be disappointed.”
July 24, 2016 by Caillou
“Having used ALL thrush products, including the soaking products, this is the most effective thrush product I have used. It’s the easiest for application too! Also, what I love about this, is the new growth is HEALTHY that attests to the healthy bacterial balance in the hoof still remains:)”
May 6, 2016 by Kaylyn W.
“Easy to apply and working well on my geldings heel cracks”
Love that it’s dry!
January 21, 2016 by Trappersfriend
“I have been using this product for over a year and it’s the only product I found that truly gets rid of thrush overnight. It is amazing!”
Love this stuff!
December 16, 2015 by KDW22
“Dry thrush treatment makes so much sense! This works really well and quickly. Doesn’t take much so the bottle lasts a while. This is also amazing for rain rot, although treating a larger patch of rain rot will use up the bottle fairly quickly.”
How to “Wrap a hoof” instead of buying expensive RX hoof boots.
Do it yourself Hoof Wrap
Scroll for photo slideshow.
Often your vet or farrier will ask you to “wrap” a hoof” or buy and utilize hoof boots. There are many reasons they might request this, but it is typically due to tender or infected frogs, whiteline disease, and/or soft, bruised, or damaged soles. If the treatment is expected to be long term, it may be best to break down and purchase the boots. However if you are expecting just a few weeks of treatment, there is an easy (and cost effective) alternative.
NOTE: Boots and wrapping (even hoof packing) remove oxygen and create a warm, moist environment which is where thrush and bacteria thrive.
So… here is what to do…
TOOLS NEEDED: *NO THRUSH powder, (Buy at any Farm and Tack store) *Gauze *Duct Tape *Hoof Pick *Rag (optional)
TIME NEEDED: 3-5 minutes
Step 1: Clean and brush the hoof, removing debris. (If you are in rainy or snowy conditions, use a rag to wipe up any excessive moisture. (It doesn’t have to be perfect, just wipe away the worst of it, HOWEVER the outside hoof wall must be completely dry so the tape will stick
Step 2: Liberally dust the hoof (and all crevices) with NO THRUSH Powder. Brush it in with your hoof brush and then add a little more on top.
Step 3: Tear a piece of gauze and place it over the NO THRUSH so it covers the entire frog and sole.
Step 4. Grab strips of Dust tape (preparing these in advance will make your life MUCH easier). Attach the tape in an overlapping row. Be sure you let the edges overlap 2 inches on each side. Then add some additional crisscrossed strips using the same method. With your hand, firmly affix the tape. Be sure to use enough strips that you can no longer see any gauze. In damp weather, a few additional strips may be helpful to keep out the elements.
Step 5: Grab the roll of tape and run 2-4 complete circles around the hoof wall, sealing down the edges of the crosscross strips. Run your hand over the tape to give it a final seal.
That’s it. Your No Thrush /gauze / Duct Tape creation will typically last a 2-3 days, and often longer depending on how much activity the horse is getting. To read more about thrush, go to this video:https://fouroaksproducts.com/thrush-education
