Hi All,
Hoping for your input…..
My partner, K. Busfield – creator of NO THRUSH – Dry also owns an extensive Equine Rehabilitation Center here in Southern California. She is discovering that well over 95% of the working horses that arrive at her facility due to Soft Tissue Damage (cartilage, tendons, etc), also have moderate-to-severe thrush when they walk in the door. She also notes that in most cases the rehab recovery takes a shorter period if the thrush is properly treated first. Right now we’re looking for anecdotal evidence on a larger scale. Down the line we may push this issue up to an official Vet-university program to scientifically get to the bottom of this.
So for now however, here is what I ask…. For those of you dealing with mystery lameness, suspensory, bowed tendons, strained ligaments, shoulder issues, even neck and back issues… – will you check your horses’ feet to see if you can also find thrush? Often the feet will look dry and healthy, but thrush will most often hide in the Sulcus near the heel bulbs. If there is a crack that seems to go quite deep, you might push on the frog and sulcus just below the heel bulbs. If it’s softer than normal, (might even be…squishy) or if the horse reacts/jerks away from a normal hoof-picking in the Central Sulcus, odds are – that’s thrush.
Our Hypothesis:
It is our belief that these soft tissue injuries can often be avoided if the thrush is diagnosed and treated before the horse self-protectively changes his gait. (usually to a toe-first walking style to avoid pain in the heels.)
This is the progression of our hypothesis.
0. thrush sets in (usually hidden in the sulcus)
1. The thrush creates tenderness. (but not yet noticeable as “lameness”)
2. The tenderness creates an unbalanced stride.
3. The unbalanced stride creates excessive stress on the soft tissue.
4. Soft tissue damage/breaks occur.
The Central Question: If a horse stumbles and injurers himself – what are the odds that he stumbled because of a tentative step due to thrush soreness, and not because he’s clumsy…..?
(I know that if I limp for a few days, I ALWAYS strain the muscles in my back.)
I would love to hear your personal observations. Of course, the trimmers and farriers out there will have comments on the trim/shoeing work, which certainly plays a part in a balanced stride, but my hope here is to anecdotally determine if there is – or is not – a direct link between thrush and soft tissue damage.
Thanks all!
HK