# Dry cracked frog



## leanne1988 (5 May 2010)

Hi all,

my mare has dry & slightly cracked frogs. I have looked online but cannot seem to find anything of much help! Is it normal for them to do this in dry conditions? My fields are now rock-hard, so i thought maybe this has something to do with it? As they has gone from soft ground to very dry & hard??? she isn't lame, they do not hurt when i apply pressure, nor are they hot or foul smelling...

should i just be applying a moisturiser???? Any advice appreciated.
Thanks guys!  x


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## 121kelly121 (5 May 2010)

Ths is happening to my boy too. Although, he was a hunter, and then was in the police for 6 years, so he has been around the block a bit!!
His are all dry and cracked, and a little flakey. 

I have something called "frog health" that i spray on; although i believe that this just keeps the frog clean??
So i am also looking for something that i can put on, to moisten them up. 
I think they are completely healthy, they just dont look very nice!!


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## FionaMc (5 May 2010)

I've always used effol on their frogs and heels (as well as their hooves), works wonders.


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## leanne1988 (5 May 2010)

Which effol product do you use? Someone said to me about applying vasaline or olive oil to the frog? :S


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## Shysmum (5 May 2010)

is your horse shod ?? Just wondered, cos barefoot may make a difference ?

either way, packing the inside with aqueuos cream once a day may help, and is cheap


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## frostie652 (5 May 2010)

i dont think vaselines reccomended as although it makes the frog too 'wet' it also stop any moisture from the ground actually getting to it, i used to use NAFF hoof moist which worked well although on my boy it doesnt worry me so much now


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## leanne1988 (5 May 2010)

Ye i did think that vasaline may not let the hoof 'breathe' properly. & yes she is shod. Frostie does ur boy always have dry cracked frogs then? does it not effect him? my girl seems absoultely fine, maybe im just making a mountain out of a mole hill lol.

I have been looking at prodcuts online and came across the NAFF hoof moist which i think i will be purcasing along with the effol hoof ointment!! thanks all


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## DuckToller (5 May 2010)

Does your horse have quite upright hooves?  My farrier blames my horse's feet because he has very upright concave feet, and the frog never really touches the ground and so it can't do its job properly.  

He suffers frequently from sheered heels, where the frog is so dry and shrivelled that it actually splits.  I could do with some glue tbh!  So no help, just to say keep an eye on it in case it gets worse.  Mine had to have egg bar shoes in the end to stabilise the crack - more expense.


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## TheFarrier (5 May 2010)

yes they sound like they are dry. Are you applying anything to the horses hooves? If not then they will be dry as well.

What ever your are currently using on the feet is fine to apply to the frogs but do use a formulated hoof mousiture product not an oil as this will actually further dry the hooves out and orevent moisture getting into the feet.

Hoof heal is a very good product which is only applied thrice weekly and contains disinfectants which keep the hooves and frog healthy.


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## HollyB66 (5 May 2010)

TheFarrier said:



			yes they sound like they are dry. Are you applying anything to the horses hooves? If not then they will be dry as well.

What ever your are currently using on the feet is fine to apply to the frogs but do use a formulated hoof mousiture product not an oil as this will actually further dry the hooves out and orevent moisture getting into the feet.

Hoof heal is a very good product which is only applied thrice weekly and contains disinfectants which keep the hooves and frog healthy.
		
Click to expand...

I've just bought some Kevin Bacon's Dressing http://www.kevinbacons.com/indexen.htm

Do you know if that is good for the hoof and frog?


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## Box_Of_Frogs (6 May 2010)

No no no - you've all got it wrong. For a dry, cracked frog you need to carry it quickly and carefully to a pond and place it on a lily pad. It should revive swiftly and hop off into the water.

Sorry! PMSL at the title and imagined this poor little green hoppy thing gasping for a drink! When I first came to my current yard - about 3 years ago - my YO asked me why I had splashed out on a nice new bridle for my horse Sunny, since he already had a bridle. Yes, I said, but it's old and cracked and disgusting. YO replied, oh, just like me then!


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## air78 (6 May 2010)

It's perfectly natural that the frog is dry is dry in dry weather. 

Healthy frogs should be dry and really hard.... Don't put anything on them


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## MochaDun (6 May 2010)

My pony's soles, heels and frogs were like this a couple of weeks ago - one foot had a split along the length of the frog - due to the dry weather spell we had and someone on here said they would be fine once we got wetter weather again and they are indeed now fine.  I did put some hoof moist on the outside of his front hooves (also recommended) as one of those had a fine crack and his front hooves were crumbling a bit at the toe but those looking better now the weather changed as well.


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## DuckToller (6 May 2010)

Box_Of_Frogs said:



			No no no - you've all got it wrong. For a dry, cracked frog you need to carry it quickly and carefully to a pond and place it on a lily pad. It should revive swiftly and hop off into the water.

Sorry! PMSL at the title and imagined this poor little green hoppy thing gasping for a drink! When I first came to my current yard - about 3 years ago - my YO asked me why I had splashed out on a nice new bridle for my horse Sunny, since he already had a bridle. Yes, I said, but it's old and cracked and disgusting. YO replied, oh, just like me then!
		
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I hope you bashed YO firmly round head with your new bridle!  You will be pleased to know I have been seen occasionally carrying toads to the local pond - they weren't dry and cracked but I didn't want them to get squished by cars so do I get a gold star for effort?  Two were very large and had a little toad firmly attached on top - quite a handful!

Dry cracked frogs are more of a pain - at least my horse thinks so.  He goes lame when tiny bits of my arena surface get trapped in there so can only hack at the moment.


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## Maesfen (6 May 2010)

Go and paddle in a stream or the sea regularly, it's good for their legs too and much cheaper than bought products.


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