Anyone else had this hoof disease/infection?

Hey guys! So about a week ago I had my horses feet trimmed by a new farrier, referred by someone at my barn. He is a ton more expensive but after last time I had her feet trimmed, she was lame for over a month. I really don't think it was my farrier, I think it was building up before hand. He shoed my old horse for 3 years and fixed her feet up nicely(I bought her from a lady who thought she knew how to do feet.. UGH.. x.x) So bascailly I trust him, but she has tiny, and shall I say fragile and sensitive feet. I want to make sure I don't mess them up, she is young and I think she needs a good start!!

So since I bought her in January I noticed .. well.. the only word I can use to describe it is "peeling" on her hind hooves. Yes it sounds weird.. but the lower half inch on her hooves had this weird peeling. The upper part looked dirty or muddy, so I thought that the bottom was just the clean part. I know, I must sound like an idiot but I have had people look at her feet when she had an abcess(oh, I forgot to specify why she was lame for a month and a half. She had two abcessed in a row on her left front hoof and then was lame on the right front hoof for probably two days. Weird,.. because I see signs of an abcess on that foot too but she was not acting lame on it) and no one ever said anything so you can't blame me!

So anyways... the day before my new farrier came her front right hoof kind of.. well, chipped? The the more righter part of the front hood kind of chipped.. and curled up a little.. but only like 1.5 centimeters of it.. and it didnt fall off, it was still attached. It seems like the chip or curl(sorry for my lack of words, I just have never heard of this!) was just the outer wall? UGH! Ha. So yea, basically, he asked me right away if I knew why her hoof was doing that? And I was just no. Her feet were not long at all, I thought it was even a few weeks early, but he started talking about a bacterial disease? Infection? He used different words, but basically, she had it n ALL FOURS!! I was SHOCKED! But at the time time, relieved and I got an "ohhhh" moment because now I understood the peeling. Each foot had a little different symptoms.

Sorry I don't know the medical terms, but maybe the treatment will ring a bell? He told me to spray bleachy water( he said 2 tablespoons in 1 gallon of water, for the concentration) on the bottom inch of each hoof(outer only) 2 times a week for two weeks. He said because it was be bad for the frog and hairline anywhere else.

It has been about a week and I am SOOO mad!!! Her front left hoof has a little crack peely thing again. I just got her feet done, and I thought since I was treating it, they would stay pretty. I will get pictures! It probably sounds a lot worse then it really is. Its not life threatening or anything but I can't wait for it to stop.

Anyone else been through this? Any other types of TX? I am trying to figure out what the name of it is... i'll update!!

Without pictures it is really hard to make a guess but I am worried about White Line Disease.

It is a disease the erodes the white line detaching the hoof wall from the foot. It is serious and nothing painted on the foot or medication can help.
I hope I scared you and I would like to see pictures. Clean the worst foot and take some shots from the bottom/soul.

WLD is my worst fear for any horse. Treat involves sectioning the foot. Cutting the hoof wall off exposing the disease to the air. It is like cancer and only by cutting it out does it go away. YOu can NOT soak a foot for it.

I would use something a little stronger than 2 tbsp of bleach in a gallon of water. That's not going to do much. I've used straight "weak" Iodine solution, sprayed on to the bottom of the feet and the outside everyother day. That works pretty well and isn't as drying or damaging as bleach.

Also, the horse's living conditions need to be dry, or as dry as possible. Wet conditions promote bacteria and fungus, so drying things out helps kill and prevent infection.

Adding 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar to her feed will help change the PH of her skin and feet, which can help deter fungal and yeast based infections. I buy the cheap store brand. It also keeps some flies away and encourages water consumption.

Ok so I bought some vinegar and ha, she hates it, but she still eats!

I know it's not white line disease. I would have remember that name. The farrier called it something.. ahh, but he said it's not life threatening, etc and that bleachy water would work. I think it is improving

I'll try to remember to take pictures of it. Oh and there is nothing underneath, that is different, ..it is the outside of the hoof, not the under side. And its just a thin layer that is peeling, like your skin when you get sun burnt. And beside that, her feet chip a little, like they are over grown of something, but I assure you they are not.

The little "curl" thing you described sounds like a simple chip, that is caused when a horse knocks its hoof against something and the hoof breaks but stays connected to the hoof:

Hoof chip horse image by phat_piggie on Photobucket Does the curl look like the chip on the right-hand side of this hoof, towards the back?

The peeling, depending on where it is situated, could be anything... does the bottom of the hoof smell foul? It may be thrush, which can be treated with a bleach or special medicated solution. If the peeling is on the frog with no foul smell, it could just be the frog itself shedding, which it's supposed to do. If the peeling is on the hoof wall itself, I wouldn't worry; in wet weather my gelding has had a little peeling effect on his hoof wall and it went away as soon as the weather dried up.

I don't have any experience with White Line Disease, but it may be worthwhile to have a vet to check it out, just in case, because as RiosDad mentioned, it is extremely serious.

There are a couple pretty scary things that can cause peeling hooves. Riosdad mentioned WLD, another one I have seen is selenuim toxicity, though when I saw it the hoof peeled from the top, by the coronet band, not from the bottom. Selenium toxicity is serious business and can often be fatal. It's usually coupled with losing a lot of hair in the mane and tail. If the hooves are not long or overgrown, and not just chipping/curling from excessive length and trying to self trim, then if might be well worth getting the advice of your vet rather than your farrier. Good luck!

First off....I'm sorry if what I am about to say sounds rude......but you need to get a new farrier.......her feet are in bad shape.....they are way to long and that is one of the reasons her feet are chipping and cracking.

Super Nova

I'm just wondering... what picture are you looking at to make that judgement, that her feet are too long? I don't think Bmunch provided a picture.

A hoof does not need to be long to chip or crack. A horse with well-trimmed hooves can still chip it's hooves if they are not strong enough, or with enough force on a hard surface.

Yea, I don't think its either of the diseases listed. The farrier didnt mention them. The peeling isnt coming from the coronet and she is not losing hair, other then normal winter shredding. Ugh, I need to just remember to take pictures!

And no, Super Nova, that is not my horses feet. I actually just switched farriers.

I think it'll be much easier to identify the problem if there are pictures, Bmunch (: