Soft, malodorous, crumbling or holed frogs: there's no doubt about it, they're rotten! In this article, we will discuss the causes of a horse's rotten frogs as well as several effective treatments to cure them.
How to tell if a frog is rotten?
To recognize a rotten frog, there's no need for a veterinarian or farrier. A simple examination of your horse's hoof will diagnose it, and to do so, you just need to pick up your horse's foot. If the frog is black, soft, smells bad, crumbles, or has holes, there's no doubt it's rotting. Knowing that the frog is the intermediary between the horse's leg and the stresses placed on the hoof, it's essential to prevent, treat and cure rotten frogs. A rotten frog is painful for the horse and can cause an abscess or even lameness. Frog rot usually occurs in winter, but it can also happen in the summer, so stay vigilant!
What causes frog rot?
A horse's frog can rot for several reasons, but generally, the deterioration occurs after prolonged standing in a dirty and humid environment that promotes frog decomposition. For example, a horse with uncleaned hooves that stays in a dirty stall, or a horse that lives in a pasture with muddy ground can represent a risky situation for the frog. In winter, frequent showers or wet ground can also contribute to the deterioration of the horse's hoof. The moist hoof is a favorable environment for bacteria to settle and multiply, causing frog rot.
How to treat a rotten frog?
To treat a rotten frog, there are three essential steps to follow scrupulously: clean, treat and keep dry.
Step 1: Clean your horse's hoof
Before anything else, it's essential to clean the hoof thoroughly because treating a dirty hoof is always counterproductive. Therefore, clean the hoof well and dry it as much as possible. For this, choose a clean and dry environment to perform your care and, above all, do not hose down the hooves. The hoof must be as dry as possible, so use a hoof pick or brush to clean it and dry it with a towel if necessary. If needed, let the hoof air out for 30 minutes while you do your grooming or prepare your horse. The main cause of frog rot is humidity, so by applying any treatment to a wet hoof, you risk trapping bacteria inside (between the hoof and the treatment), which would only worsen the situation.
Step 2: Treat the rotten frog
Once the hoof is clean, disinfect it with an antiseptic and antifungal solution like Sole Cleanse from Red Horse Products. Sole Cleanse from Red Horse Products is a hoof disinfectant spray that reduces and prevents unpleasant odors and blackening of the frog and sole. Its active ingredients destroy bacterial and fungal microbes and promote the growth of healthy tissue. Sole Cleanse can be used to clean cracks in the white line, the frog, and other infected seedy toe or crevasses in the horse's hoof before plugging them. Treating a rotten frog generally involves eliminating all the bacteria and fungi responsible for frog rot, absorbing the moisture from the hoof to sanitize the horn and the hoof as a whole. The main objective is to recreate an aseptic environment to prevent bacteria from developing. There are several effective products available to treat a horse's rotten frog, such as:
Anti-Rot Frogs Balm by Natural Hoof Care (100% made in France - price: 18€ - more details over here)
Hoof Stuff by Red Horse Products (price: 18,50€ - more details over here)
Field Paste by Red Horse Products (price: 21€ - more details over here)
Hoof Solution by Kevin Bacon's (price: 20,40€ - more details over here)
Anti-Rot Frogs Balm by Cura Naturale (100% made in France - price: 23,75€ - more details over here)
Step 3: Keeping the foot dry
Once the foot has been treated, it is imperative to keep it dry. Easier said than done, this means keeping the foot in the driest and healthiest environment possible to maximize the effect of the treatment. To do this, it is crucial to keep a clean bed by removing manure daily and, if necessary, by putting the horse on shavings while treating the frog.
To keep a foot dry when the horse is outside, for example, it is recommended to apply Norwegian tar, which acts as a barrier against moisture, like a waterproofing agent. Note that the tar should be used once the foot is completely dry to prevent moisture from entering the foot. If used on a wet foot, the tar will seal the foot in the moisture, preventing it from escaping, which can accelerate the decay of the foot. Tar should always be used sparingly and handled with gloves.
Recap of the steps to follow:
Install my horse in a dry place to perform the care
Clean, brush and dry the feet if necessary
Disinfect with a disinfectant spray such as Red Horse Products' Sole Cleanse
Once the disinfectant has dried, treat with, for example, Natural Hoof Care's Anti-Fungal Frog Treatment
Keep my horse's feet dry for as long as possible
If my horse is at risk of getting wet feet again, I can occasionally apply tar to waterproof them
Repeat the operation regularly until the first results are seen (be patient as rotten frogs do not heal overnight)
And then?
Once the frog is healthy again, it is important to regularly take care of your horse's feet as a preventative measure. For this, several products exist and we recommend discussing them with your farrier. For example, Natural'Innov's Natural'Must is a clay and vegetable oil-based poultice that aims to improve frog health. This care product is an innovative, complete and unique formula, particularly recommended for improving frog and hoof health and for sanitizing and purifying rotten frogs. This clay paste is easily applied to the frog with a brush before hardening and falling off on its own. This clay poultice is appreciated by horse owners living outdoors.
In the clay series, Cura Naturale's Frog Maintenance Care is a ready-to-use liquid clay to purify the solar surface of the foot. It helps maintain good hoof health throughout the year and is also used in case of early frog decay or white line disease. It is easy to use thanks to its fluidity and the brush integrated into the cap. Its texture is easily applied and acts quickly within the hooves. The selection of green clays is based on very specific properties, they are the most absorbent and adsorbent of clays. Unavoidable capacities to absorb moisture and capture and eliminate inflammatory molecules, germs or toxins. It is a real ally throughout the year, especially when the environment or terrain is wet.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for any questions and to share your thoughts on the products listed in the article if you have tried them!