100 AMERICAN FARRIERS JOURNAL www.americanfarriers.com March, 2003

Brittle, weakhooves caused

by infection canbe successfully

treated

By Nicholas B. Denson

WORKING WITH A HORSE that can’tkeep its shoes on is something mostfarriers regularly deal with. Many timesthese horses have weak, brittle feet thateasily chip and crack. Even if the hoofcan hold nails, clinching often rips thenail through the wall providing little orno strength. If the horse pulls the shoesduring turnout, you won’t have to worrytoo much about working with hoof,because there won’t be much left.

It is often thought that brittle, weakfeet are strictly a nutritional or geneticdefect. However, we often neglect to lookinto other causal factors, many of whichare staring us right in the face.

Difficult Case Recently, I was presented with a

Quarter Horse who — while exhibiting nosevere angular and rotational deviations— suffered from very poor hoof quality. INFECTION TAKING OVER. Massachusetts farrier Nicholas Denson concluded

that this brittle, weak front foot was under duress due to an infection.

“I would venture that 60 percent of horses with ‘genetically weak feet’ are actually afflicted with an infection,

which means they can be treated...”

FOR TREATINGINFECTED HOOVES

FOR TREATINGINFECTED HOOVES

The owner said that “Hunter” had neverbeen able to keep his shoes on for an entire6-week schedule. The hoof wall seemedvery brittle, and in numerous places, thedorsal hoof wall was chipped and peelingproximally toward the hairline.

One hoof exhibited a wall defect, indi-cating that an abscess had broken out atthe hairline about 6 months earlier.Hunter was a typical Quarter Horse,having a large body with tiny feet.

Leaving The Door Open To Infection

Essentially, the foundation was notproviding adequate support for thebuilding. This can predispose the horseto certain hoof ailments and mechanicaltearing of the laminae, which allowsfungi and bacteria to enter into thestratum medium.

Once inside, these organisms multiplyrapidly, further weakening the hoof andcausing some discomfort. The discom-fort can range from being not easilyperceptible, all the way to three-leggedlameness. Some horses are predisposedto infections and many suffer a goodportion of their lives with this problem.

Many farriers and veterinarians merelyaccept the premise that a horse has weakfeet resulting from breeding and thatnothing can be done about it. I wouldventure that 60 percent of horses with“genetically weak feet” are actuallyafflicted with an infection, which meansthey can be treated.

Deciding On Treatment,Shoeing Method

The challenge was to determine whattreatment would best benefit Hunter, and

developing a method to keep the shoes onhis hooves.

First, causal factors for the poor hoofquality had to be evaluated. All parts ofthe stable to which this horse had accesswere neat and clean. Hunter and the otherhorses stabled there were well groomed.He had access to trace mineral blocks,unlimited water and was being fedadequately. Hunter was also beingsupplemented with Grand Hoof.

All of the other horses being stabledwith Hunter (Morgan horses) showedexcellent hoof quality and had been bare-foot their entire lives. A previous farriertried to leave Hunter barefoot with disas-trous consequences (which also accountsfor the old abscess tract).

Upon closer inspection, it becameobvious that there was likely a bacteriaor fungal infection at the center of theissue. While this barn was well-main-tained, the owner said that the last barnHunter had been at was not. Althoughthat had been a year ago, it seemed likelythe problem had originated there. It isoften difficult to procure a detailedhistory of a horse’s life, as many animals

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HINDS ARE NO BETTER. The horse’shind feet were in just as bad of shapeas the front.

change owners, barns and nutritionalprograms. However, any information afarrier can obtain from the owner is ahuge benefit when it comes to treatment.

The first step in treatment was to pullthe three remaining shoes, which werealuminum St. Croix Eventers. The use ofthin aluminum shoes on a horse with

Hunter’s conformation is contraindicated,as more support and stabilization isrequired to provide a strong foundation.With his body-size-to-hoof-size ratio, ashoe that does not bend is essential, asthere is a great transference of force to thehoof capsule.

Trimming Hunter was straightfor-

ward with no drastic changes being madeto either shape or heel length. The nextand most crucial step was to neutralizeany active infection. This was done withGrand Circuit’s White Lightning, a chlo-rine dioxide in an aqueous base (water).One cup of White Lightning is mixedwith an equal portion of acetic acid(white vinegar) and further diluted with1 gallon of water to make the soakingsolution.

It’s important to remove any parts ofthe hoof wall that are peeling or hangingprior to soaking. They are not structuralor functional and these hanging piecestrap bacteria and provide an oxygen-freeenvironment where anaerobic kerati-nolytic (hoof digesting) organismsprocreate readily.

Starting The SoakingTo begin this soaking process, obtain

used IV bags from either a veterinarianor local equine veterinary clinic.Remember only to use IV bags that onceheld Lactated Ringers (saline) and neveruse an IV bag that held an antibiotic.There is a potential risk for an adversereaction, which conceivably could lead to

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SOAKING UP THE TREATMENT. For infected hooves, Denson soaks the hoovesin a solution made up of 1 cup White Lightning, 1 cup white vinegar and 1 gallonof water.

“The thickness of the IV bagallows the horse to bear

weight on the hoof and movearound (a little) without

tearing a hole in the bag...”

anaphylaxis (shock). Remove the end of the IV bag that has

the spout by using a hoof knife or scis-sors. Next, slip this makeshift “boot”over the horse’s hoof. Having two peoplehelp during this process makes it gomuch more efficiently. Pour only enoughWhite Lightning into the bag to cover thebottom of the hoof. Using more onlywastes the product. Never let the solutionrise higher than 1/2 inch above theground surface of the hoof.

After pouring the solution into the IVbag, use white tape or duct tape to securethe bag around the fetlock. The thicknessof the IV bag allows the horse to bearweight on the hoof and move around (alittle) without tearing a hole in the bag.This lets you prepare the shoes while thehooves are soaking. Hunter pawedcontinuously with his right front leg, yetnever dislodged the bag or ripped it open.

Sealing the bag around the fetlockallows vapors from the solution to pene-trate up in the hoof wall, which is notpossible if the horse is merely standingin a bucket. These vapors activelyneutralize the fungi and are more effec-tive than the solution itself. Be careful notto get any of the solution on your clothes,as it bleaches out some fabrics.

When the solution in the bagbecomes dirty, empty and refill it withclean solution until it finally remainsclear (about 15 minutes). It is alsoimportant to pick out and thoroughlybrush the bottom of the hoof prior tosoaking. This may sound obvious, butmanure and shavings will instantly turnthe solution black.

One suggestion for cold-weathersoaking is to mix the White Lightningand acetic acid mixture with warm water.On the day Hunter was soaked, theoutside temperature was nearing minus10 degrees. However, Hunter seemed toenjoy standing in the warm soak bag.

Once mixed, the solution remainsactive for only 12 hours (active timedecreases as water temperatureincreases), so only mix as much as you

intend to use. You are not covering theentire hoof in the solution, so a little goesa long way. Adjust the mixture to suityour needs. When soaking all fourhooves, the 1-gallon mixture should bemore than ample. However, if only onehoof is to be soaked, mix a proportion-ally smaller amount of solution.

Why It WorksChlorine dioxide works by dissolving

the biofilms (protective layer sur-rounding organisms), then it alters thepH, which thereby neutralizes theorganism itself.

It is effective against fungi andbacteria, so it immediately destroysthrush. It also is a treatment for canker,white line disease and other hoofailments. When the infection is highlyadvanced, you can often smell it, muchlike thrush. White Lightning breaksdown the hydrogen-sulfur bond, which iswhere the putrid smell comes from. Donot be surprised if after the first soak thesmell dissipates.

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DON’T COME OFF. Denson says thishorse pawed on the bags of solutionbut never detached them from the foot.

Done Soaking, Now The Shoeing

Hunter had originally been shod inaluminum shoes. The previous farrier

probably wanted to decrease weight withthe hope of increasing the amount oftime that the shoe remained on the hoof.

However, with such a poor qualityhoof, that modality of shoeing iscontraindicated because it allows forexcessive expansion of the hoof capsulewithout providing the support of a steelshoe. Horses like Hunter must keep theirfeet as rigid as possible.

The first time I shod Hunter, I usedKerckhaert DF series shoes on the frontsand Kerckhaert PB Classics on the hinds.To further add rigidity to the hoof, thefronts were quarter-clipped and the hindsside-clipped. My suggestion is to keepthe web of the horseshoe as narrow aspossible and not to use sliding plates orany shoe with a web width that is morethan 3/4 of an inch.

After shaping the shoe to the foot, hotfit the shoes. Hot fitting acts to create anenvironment in which bacteria andfungus won’t thrive. Hot fitting is a mustwhen dealing with bacteria and infection.

Nailing The ShoeNail the shoe onto the hoof using no

more than three nails per branch. Usingmore nails increases the damage to thealready weakened hoof wall.

For Hunter, I nailed the shoes on withJC-1 nails. Since the shoes were set

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CONTINUE TO CHANGE. As soon as the solution in the bag becomes dirty,empty and refill it with clean solution.

OUT WITH THE OLD. (Top) The shoes once used on Hunter are wider than what Densonwants to use. (Bottom) The new shoes are narrower and only three nails per branchwere used.

back to provide caudal support to thehooves, the toe was beveled androunded up. Nailing a horse like thiscan be a bit nerve racking as you’llundoubtedly have to nail high to findsound horn. And when it comes toclinching, do it sparingly.

There is no need for the “monsterclinch.” Keep it around 1 to 2 millimetersof nail to turn for the clinch. If the horse

is going to pull the shoes, it is better tohave it come off moderately clean, ratherthan tear off what is left of the hoof.

When pulling shoes on a horse withthis condition, it is best to pull each nailindividually using crease nail pullers, asprying the shoe off the foot can causedamage. The JC-1 nail is extremely easyto pull and I do not recommend using acity or regular head nail on these problemhorses.

Paint It With Pine TarIt is advisable to paint the solar surface

of the horseshoe with pine tar prior tonailing. Applying pine tar to the shoewith a disposable paint brush is preferredto painting it on the bottom of the hoof,as it makes for less mess.

It also keeps the product on the solewall junction where it is most needed.

Keep Your Pads ToYourself

Never use a full pad with a horse whomay be exhibiting a possible bacterial orfungal wall infection. Even with the bestof medicated hoof packings, there isalways the risk that manure or urinecould soak into or get under the pad orpacking material, and further complicatethe infection.

Only a rim pad should be used if a padis needed. Since leather pads are treatedwith both anti-fungal and anti-bacterialagents during manufacture, they can safelybe used, but only if the horse is to be resetwithin 4 weeks using new pads. A

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GETTING BETTER. After going through the soaking process and getting a newshoe nailed on, Hunter’s front foot is on its way to recovery.

“Hot fitting is a must when dealing with bacteria

and infection...”

synthetic rim pad, such as the ShockTamer,should be used over longer time periods.If synthetic pads are to be used, rinse themwith White Lightning prior to resetting tomake sure you aren’t reintroducing anyinfectious material to the hoof.

Don’t Forget The WaxUpon finishing the hooves, apply

some type of wax in the both the oldnails holes as well as over the newclinches. Use an antiseptic wax becausebeeswax cannot be spread easily.

After waxing over the nail holes, newclinches and any other defect that mighttrap fungi and bacteria, paint the dorsalhoof wall with a hoof antiseptic such asKeratex’s Hoof Antiseptic, Farrier’sFormula Hoof Antiseptic or Vapco’sBear-Cat Hoof dressing.

The owner should continue to applythe hoof dressing three times a week forthe first shoeing period, then on areduced rate, which the farrier shoulddetermine at the next appointment. Donot expect to see drastic quality changesuntil you’ve done about three shoeings,

but even if the hoof changes for the bettersooner, do not alter the shoeing regimenfor at least three shoeings.

On The Road ToRecovery

A week after Hunter was shod, theowner called to inform me that Hunterhad been running around and bucking inthe paddock like he was a colt again.

Though he did not appear to bemarkedly lame prior to soaking andshoeing, he obviously felt much betterafter treatment. In the process of runningaround and overexerting himself, Huntermanaged to do some damage to his deepdigital flexor tendon and needed to beplaced on stall rest. I’d suggest limitedturnout for a few days so you don’t runinto the same problem.

References:Adams OR. Lameness in Horses, 3rd Ed.,

Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea & Febiger, 1975.Denoix, JM. The Equine Distal Limb,

Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 2000.Dollar, JNO. A Handbook for

Horseshoeing, 1989. Reprinted 1993 byCentaur Forge, Burlington, WI.

Hakola, SEE. and Riegal, RJ. IllustratedAtlas of Clinical Equine Anatomy andCommon Disorders of the Horse, Vol. 1Musculoskeletal System and LamenessDisorders, Marysville, Ohio: EquistarPublications, Limited, 1996.

Hill C and Stashak TS. The HorseOwner’s Guide to Lameness. 1st Edition.

Stashak, TS. Adam’s Lameness in Horses,4th Ed., Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea and Febiger,1987.

Nicholas B. Denson is a graduate of the farrier program at Cornell University,in Ithaca, N.Y. The Wareham, Mass., shoeris a member of the American Farrier’sAssociation, the Southeastern NewEngland Farrier’s Association and theInternational Association of EquineProfessionals. He is the owner ofDenson’s Farrier Service serving easternMassachusetts and New Hampshire. He also manages a hoof care Web site:www.Equine Hoofcare.com and can becon tac ted a t denson farr i e r@equinehoof.com.

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HINDS RECOVERING. Hunter’s hind foot also is doing better after going througha treatment soak and shoeing.

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