# Crumbling sole and a smelly foot... help!



## Bowen4Horses (7 June 2009)

hi all,

when i bought my horse, he was long overdue a shoeing. and his feet were in need of some love. but... they seemed strong and half decent. 

i got farrier out, he said they had been left to grow too long, but that after a couple of good shoeings, they'd be good feet.

anyhoo, they were all a bit crumbly and smelly to start with, but after being shod, and having them picked out twice a day, they all seemed to improve. 

yesterday i noticed one of his front feet was smelly. and when i picked it out, the sole was very crumbly again. i actually had to be careful when picking it out, as i didn't want to remove too much of it! 

then today, it was the same. and i'm starting to worry slightly... does anyone know why he'd have such a crumbly sole? it's like crumbly white cheese...

i'd love to ask the farrier, however he has not turned up the last two times he was due (sarah23 you were SO right!)...

so... HHO experts... what can i do?

p.s. he's only in v light work, is turned out most of the time (except when VERY hot or rainy or when he wants a good sleep), he isn't in a muddy field, his stable is always clean, his feet are picked out twice a day...


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## scotsmare (7 June 2009)

Cornucresine folk do a hoof dressing for soft and crumbly feet - have got some here but still in early days of using it so not sure how much it's helping.

I think you need to get another farrier to have a look and see what he says - try some Frog Fresh in the meantime


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## Nailed (7 June 2009)

The crumbling is more than likly natural exfoliation. Or  a mild fungal infection.

My suggestion is to scrub the foot with hibiscrub and stand the horse on concrete while the foot dries.. Repeat this everyday until problem solved.. you could also use hydrogen peroxide!

Lou x


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## Slinkyunicorn (7 June 2009)

PM TheFarrier on here and see what he suggests. To me it sounds like a bit of thrush - that is easily treated by using some hydrogen peroxide (get it in chemists).


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## cellie (7 June 2009)

Keratex do a disinfectant and have a website which might help you self diagnose until you can  get a farrier . The  hardener they sell might be beneficial once you have cleared up any infection .It helped our old mare  who suffered with crumbly feet when we had a lot of wet weather.


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## Bowen4Horses (7 June 2009)

thank you guys! i'll dig out the hibiscrub and try that. then start the search for a farrier that actually turns up.... grrrr.


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## hadfos (7 June 2009)

Normally it it is to do with hot dry,then wet conditions 
	
	
		
		
	


	




Sounds like he is just shedding old sole,and there will be new underneath 
	
	
		
		
	


	




My lads dead sole comes away in big flaky chunks,it is normal!!The smelly bit could be his frogs which may be a little thrushy...hydrogen peroxide is great for treating!!
And find another farrier asap!!


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## Bowen4Horses (7 June 2009)

oooh, just seen other replies! i'll have a look at keratex website now. x


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## hadfos (7 June 2009)

it isnt cheap and peroxide will clear up thrush just as well 
	
	
		
		
	


	




at a quarter of the price...i agree with keratex for hardening hoof wall,but the soles of the foot will harden naturally but should still shed dead tissue


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## wildwoman666 (7 June 2009)

i had a horse with thruse. in 3 feet . smells . i found hibiscrub it clean and leave to dry then get some iodine in there and also leave to dry. it will soon sort it out. great stuff and i found it made his feet loads better. the horse i had with thruse had it in 3 feet so bad it took ages to clear and was only to ride of hard ground no sand as sand would set it off. if was bad as it went up his heel . so give it a try your soon see it will sort it over time.


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## wildwoman666 (7 June 2009)

no dont use peroxide as it will kill the good part or the foot as well . its ok used once but as i have put try iodine not peroxide.


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## hadfos (7 June 2009)

Never had a problem with this using peroxide,and have used it for MANY yrs,it only needs to be used for a couple of days and the main infection is killed off,so you can then switch to milder treatments!


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## f_s_ (7 June 2009)

Another vote for Iodine, will clear up thrush in the frog


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## Nailed (7 June 2009)

Peroxided doesnt do any damage to the outer hoof structures if it is diluted correctly. I personally prefer to use something milder in the first instance, but will never knock someone for useing peroxide as it really is wonderful for getting rid of thrush/canker.

But i have to say.. It really does sound more like natural sole exfoliation, this is why is suggested the milder, hibiscrub approach as a first point of call..

Lou x


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## wildwoman666 (7 June 2009)

i was told by vet and farrier peroxide is ok to use once as it stings and makes horses unhappy about there feet . thats when u get some horses not wanting to let you clean feet out. it does kill good part in there feet after so long. so i was told to use iodine as its better for there feet.


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## Nailed (7 June 2009)

If peroxide is diluted correctly, it should cause any discomfort or pain..

Lou x


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## wildwoman666 (7 June 2009)

http://www.thehorse.com/pdf/factsheets/thrush/thrush.pdf
have a read for yourself. hope it helps


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## PapaFrita (7 June 2009)

You might've been using too high a concentration of peroxide. You don't need more than 10% peroxide and there's no reason it should sting 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 I use it for all sorts of stuff (including flushing PF's maggots out of her lady bits... if it was going to sting I think it would've stung there! 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 ) Plus, peroxide reacts and froths when there's blood present. No blood, no froth, no sting.


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## Donkeymad (7 June 2009)

I second the natural exfoliation, it happens regularly and is natural and harmless. The smell is another matter and is probably thrush.


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## wildwoman666 (7 June 2009)

i used 10% peroxide and rest was water trust me i knew what i was doing . read the link what is says about useing it it prolongs healing time.


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## PapaFrita (7 June 2009)

Ok, whatever. We'll just have to agree to disagree.


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## Nailed (7 June 2009)

Wildwomen.. I aint gunna argue with you.. And i dont think any of the other very experienced people on this site will either...

Lou x

EDITED TO ADD.. AM I ILL?!













You decide =oP


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## hadfos (7 June 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
You might've been using too high a concentration of peroxide. You don't need more than 10% peroxide and there's no reason it should sting 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 I use it for all sorts of stuff (including flushing PF's maggots out of her lady bits... if it was going to sting I think it would've stung there! 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 ) Plus, peroxide reacts and froths when there's blood present. No blood, no froth, no sting. 

[/ QUOTE ]
Exactly 
	
	
		
		
	


	




Sadly people dont use it correctly...but the stuff is fantsastic!!


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## hadfos (7 June 2009)

All vets i have used will recommend it,used in the correct quantities???Now let me see...equine vet or internet advice???hmmm i wonder who i will listen too!!


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## hadfos (7 June 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
i used 10% peroxide and rest was water trust me i knew what i was doing . read the link what is says about useing it it prolongs healing time. 

[/ QUOTE ]
And tbh that is crap 
	
	
		
		
	


	




...i have used it twice a day for 2 days and it has done its job,i can then use a milder treatment...hibiscrub or iodine,and within days it has cleared 
	
	
		
		
	


	




And in 20 yrs i have never had a foot drop off or a days lameness,or a dodgy sole 
	
	
		
		
	


	




??


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## wildwoman666 (7 June 2009)

i listen to my vet lol like i pointed out i had a horse with it in 3 feet so think i pass for being experienced when it comes to thrush. lol


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## wildwoman666 (7 June 2009)

did not say its foot would drop of as its also say on link i sent and pointed out it prolongs healing time.


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## Nailed (7 June 2009)

I think you'll find you dont.. =o)

Thrush, one case of thrush, does not class as a wealth of experience, Trimming horses day in and day out with thrush. Or dealing with RSPCA cases where the canker has got that bad that maggots have infested and the hoof capsula has been effect.. that does..

=O)

Lou x

PS.. IM NOT ILL.. ITS OK.. PANIC OVER.


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## wildwoman666 (7 June 2009)

clipcloppop read link i posted for more info on thrush as i did not rule out peroxide if used right and not so much . being new is so hard and so nasty....lol good luck with it hope you get it sorted.


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## CrazyMare (7 June 2009)

Terramycin spray will clear thrush too, if you have it/can get hold of it.

Give the hoof a quick scrub out, stand the horse on concrete or something dry for a few mins then spray.


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## YorksG (7 June 2009)

Just to add to the controvesy, our farrier maintains that hydrogen peroxide is the equivalent of smoke and mirrors


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## hadfos (7 June 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
no dont use peroxide as it will kill the good part or the foot as well . its ok used once but as i have put try iodine not peroxide. 

[/ QUOTE ]
Being new is great on here 
	
	
		
		
	


	




...however coming on with a comment like above,when people have used the stuff for yrs,had good results,never a days lameness,makes you sound like only what you do is right 
	
	
		
		
	


	








Never say Do not...as different things work for different horses 
	
	
		
		
	


	




These comments have nothing to do with ganging up on you at all,and i hope it dosnt put you off posting,but tbh,it is a huge site and everyone has an opinion,the idea is to offer yours,suggest but dont say dont or do 
	
	
		
		
	


	




,peeps will read and come to their own conclusion!


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## hadfos (7 June 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
Just to add to the controvesy, our farrier maintains that hydrogen peroxide is the equivalent of smoke and mirrors 
	
	
		
		
	


	









[/ QUOTE ]
Always 1,lol


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## PapaFrita (7 June 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
 being new is so hard and so nasty....

[/ QUOTE ]
It's got nothing to do with you being new. It's got everything to do with people having different experiences from yours and disagreeing. It does happen, you know


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## PapaFrita (7 June 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
Just to add to the controvesy, our farrier maintains that hydrogen peroxide is the equivalent of smoke and mirrors 
	
	
		
		
	


	









[/ QUOTE ]
Does that mean that he doesn't think it works or that it masks the problem? Genuine question. I'm just a bit thick


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## wildwoman666 (7 June 2009)

yes and i said no to peroxide as by sounds of it its only mild .  no ppl being nasty to me does not put me off as i can handle it . what has been used years ago is not always best way new times new things happen so i go with the now not the yeasterday. never said what i do is right its what a vet and farrie told me  what was best  then has been  outdated.


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## YorksG (7 June 2009)

He thinks that people think it is effective because it froths and looks impressive. We actually use teatree oil for such things, including fly strike on the poor old sheep!


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## PapaFrita (7 June 2009)

Oh I see. Well, I still love the stuff 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 I have heard great things about tea tree oil 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 Shame it doesn't froth


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## wildwoman666 (7 June 2009)

Oz Oil Fresh Frog is good to also has teatree oil in it.


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## somethingorother (7 June 2009)

If you didn't want to risk the peroxide...( which i have never used but am now unsure about) then you can clear thrush up with hibiscrub and a disinfectant spray eg purple spray or iodine once a day. Will take a few days to 14 days (very severe) from what i have found.

The horse(s) i've treated with it were at a rather shabby riding school where no one else bothered about smelly feet. Unfortunately i had a lot of experience as the beds were not mucked out well and whenever i managed to clear it up over the weekend, it recurred as soon as i wasn't there to make sure they were kept clean/dry. In one instance after i'd been away a while the frogs had completely disintegrated/fallen off one horse who was on box rest. I've never smelt anything so bad in my life, the sight ans smell knocked me sick. 

Hibiscrub and a dandy brush and purple spray cleared this up. It took a while due to the severity, but it's never failed me. 

Since OP doesn't know for sure what it is, i would suggest a milder treatment such as hibiscrub... better safe than sorry IMO...

ETS before i get shot down, i was not employed by the place, i went in my own free time to improve the lives of the horses there as best as 1 person can. It regularly passed inspections, somehow.


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## YorksG (7 June 2009)

Yes if it frothed it would be perfect


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## hadfos (7 June 2009)

Exactly 
	
	
		
		
	


	




,but from personal experience peroxide works,and it is as strong as you use it!!i know what i do with it and it works 
	
	
		
		
	


	




,still does and never had a prob!Use it with knowledge and it is fantastic stuff,market is now swamped with potions that cost pounds and pounds and takes wks to clear the infection!Yes things get outdated,but i do peroxide,then go with the hibi 
	
	
		
		
	


	




,actually horses feet have been very good for a long time now i need nothing 
	
	
		
		
	


	








But there is no wonder horse owners get confused and dont know which way to turn! 
	
	
		
		
	


	




Honestly we are not nasty 
	
	
		
		
	


	




,and welcome 
	
	
		
		
	


	




!!


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## PapaFrita (7 June 2009)

LMAO


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## wildwoman666 (7 June 2009)

like you said what works for one wont always work for others . in my experience with peroxide it took ages to even come close to working , been as he had it go up the heel hair line. when i was told and showen by vet . it was clear with in weeks . thankx for the welcome lol


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## hadfos (8 June 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
like you said what works for one wont always work for others . in my experience with peroxide it took ages to even come close to working , been as he had it go up the heel hair line. when i was told and showen by vet . it was clear with in weeks . thankx for the welcome lol 

[/ QUOTE ]
Never had that problem 
	
	
		
		
	


	




You are welcome...you will have hours of happy posting,probably to the degree you get shouted at at home,lmao...tis very addictive


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## Brandysnap (8 June 2009)

Hi Clipcloppop (great name!!)

I'd get a good farrier in ASAP (a good farrier always turns up, provided we treat them fairly, of course). But then, good farriers are busy, so it may be difficult to get one for a problem case with a new client.

It does sound like thrush, but bearing in mind the previous owner's lack of attention to farrier-things, coupled with your current farrier's non-turning-up, it could become more serious if you don't get a professional to look at your horse soon.

If you can't get a decent farrier to look at him in the next few days, i'd get your equine vet involved. While we all want to help on the forum, it remains impossible to diagnose and treat. Please get a decent farrier, and quick. All bests BS x


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## Nailed (8 June 2009)

BS its not thats serious, it just needs a bit of disinfectant on it and it will clear up.

Wildwoman, noone was picking on you, but throwing your weight around is not the way to proceed, Offering your oppinion, and the link, fair enough..

Lou x


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## Ellies_mum2 (8 June 2009)

As a first time owner I've read this thread with interest. Sounds like some good advice (to me 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 ) has been given.  If it was me I would go by the majority verdict and if that didn't work then try something else including getting my farrier out to have a look see


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## Tinypony (8 June 2009)

One of mine has rather flat feet, but his soles are nice and thick and he manages fine.  His soles are crumbly at the moment, and it is natural abrasion.  This varies at different times of the year and in different weather, but isn't anything to worry about.  Oh, he's barefoot by the way, has been for about 4 years and works on all terrain like that.
I had a horse with long-term thrush, and was treating him by scrubbing with Hibiscrub, then using diluted Hydrogen Peroxide, 1 tenth dilution in water.  This was under supervision of my good farrier.  We couldn't quite crack it though, and when my vet visited he said to knock the Hydrogen Peroxide on the head as it necrotises the tissue.  In that case, the vet took a sample of the infection, and mixed up a specific disinfectant that I syringed down the cracks and side of the frog.  That cleared his feet up nicely within a couple of weeks.
So now, I avoid Hydrogen Peroxide simply because there is so much disagreement about whether or not to use it, and with so many other effective options why bother?  Normally a touch of thrush isn't too difficult to deal with, and I use either Fresh Frog, which seems to sort it very quickly, or tea tree oil, just a little dripped into the fissures.
Hope that's some help.


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## kellyeaton (8 June 2009)

to get rid of the smell i would use idion solution and tea tree to clean that up and to stop the crumbling and harden the hoofs up i would use eucolyptus oil all over hoof and sole and i would be feedind biotion and seaweed to hep them gow stronger aswell!


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## Naggy (8 June 2009)

OP it does just sound like a simple case of exfoliating soles as others have said. Basically if your horse perhaps hasn't been over some varied terrain then there is no abrasion to take off the exfoliation. For example, one of mine at the moment has great big chunks of sole coming off because she is off work at the moment and only goes from a flat dry field into her stable and back again and, therefore, doesn't get access to something like stones or sand which would exfoliate any dead tissue. It is not something I worry about at all and she has extremely healthy feet - you can actually see the healthy sole underneath when the big chunks come off.

I really love to use Red Horse Sole Cleanse for any thrushy feet, and I tend to use it about once a week as a maintenance application as well. I think they also do a paste which is for worse cases of thrush which stays on the foot a bit longer? They are all natural products, so I don't worry about them being necrotising, etc - but the most important thing is that the ones I have tried do actually work!!


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## Bowen4Horses (8 June 2009)

Hi all...

jeez, i went to bed, had a nice sleep... meanwhile world war three broke out over hydrogen peroxide....

anyhoo... i'm on the hunt for a farrier. sadly few and far between here... 

Raff's little foot wasn't too bad this morning. reading the above post, i does look like it's exfoliation. he's not in much work at all, and literally plods in for flat dry field into stable. sometimes for a plod down the road. i think what scares me is that he has much 'deeper' soles that i am used to, so it feels odd that he's shedding something that already looks too deep to me. i did ask the farrier about the deepness and he said it was fine and typical of his breeding. 

i might pop up to the vets later anyway and see what he says about thrush. if it is thrush, it's only mild, and it's not super dooper smelly like some i've smelt! i might try that sole cleanse stuff anyway, esp if it can be used weekly for maintenance - as i know his stable is always clean, and his field is ok. so i hope he's not going to be prone to thrush (though i guess there's worse he could be prone to!)

thank you for all your replies. apologies for starting a peroxide war....


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## TheFarrier (8 June 2009)

crumbly sole sounds like natural exfoliation and the smell is probably thrush of which you have many options to treat it with including foot rot spray, HP, tea tree oil and good old purple spray


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## Peter026 (8 June 2009)

Also, could try Thrush buster, which hasn't been mentioned yet


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