Magic cushion question

[BigMama1]

Looking for help with my horse’s feet. In the winter we fought a constant battle against thrush. In the very dry hot summer, her feet get really crumbly, and she now has thrush and a suspected abscess in one. Did the usual soaking and poulticing and have now switched to sugar and iodine wraps every third night per the vet and farrier’s recommendations to harden the soles.

Curious if Magic Cushion would help in between sugardine wraps? Does it have any hardening benefits or anti-thrush benefits?

Most important question, can it do any harm to try it?

[Jarpur]

I’ve used Magic Cushion on one of mine, for its cushioning and sting-relieving effects, and I didn’t notice any sole-hardening benefits. For that, I like Durasole.

For anti-thrush medication (not that I’ve ever had to deal with a real case, more of a preventative when conditions are ripe to develop one), I like No Thrush for Horses, which is a dry powder in a puffer bottle. Easy to apply, non-staining, gets deep into the suspect areas.

Best wishes with your horse.

[skipollo]

I just had my first experience with Magic Cushion several weeks ago. I used it because my horse had sore soles. It draws the soreness out and made him a lot more comfortable, but I wouldn’t use it for hardening or treating thrush. If anything, it made his feet feel slightly softer because there’s moisture in the product.

I also like Durasole for thrush and hardening. It probably wouldn’t HURT to use Magic Cushion, but it wouldn’t be my go to for that particular issue either.

[Scribbler]

I understand Magic Cushion is ground leather plus pine tar.

I’ve never used Keratex hoof hardener or Durasole but I understand these are the products that actually change the bonds of the hoof material. Both of them use a formalin/ formaldehyde ingredient that makes the hoof material resistant to rot and resistant to breaking off, so the hoof retains more sole. They are the only products that actually change the structure of the hoof. However I wouldn’t use it when there’s an active abscess as you want to encourage draining.

Multiple problems are annoying for sure. Soaking and poulticing are right for abscess but won’t help the thrush to keep the frog wet and soft.

There are a few traditional remedies for hooves, and the pine tar/ Venice turpentine family of ingredients are in many brands of hoof packing and topicals. I’ve liked to put Venice turpentine on freshly trimmed feet and it does seem to harden up the cut edges but I’m not sure how much effect it has. I think they have mild antifungal properties and with the right added ingredients might stay in the hoof at least over night.

I like spraying iodine nightly to dry feet up a little.

But if you have real thrush (as opposed to just soft funky frogs) you might need a stronger remedy.

Other common ingredients for thrush remedies are copper sulfate, things in the chlorine family, and topicals with antibiotic properties like that mix of Athletes Foot cream and Polysporin some people use.

Also check your trim and hoof balance. Contracted heels and contracted frogs encourage thrush.

And check your nutrition especially the copper, zinc, biotin and amino acids critical to hoof health.

[BigMama1]

@Scribbler

I understand Magic Cushion is ground leather plus pine tar.

I’ve never used Keratex hoof hardener or Durasole but I understand these are the products that actually change the bonds of the hoof material. Both of them use a formalin/ formaldehyde ingredient that makes the hoof material resistant to rot and resistant to breaking off, so the hoof retains more sole. They are the only products that actually change the structure of the hoof. However I wouldn’t use it when there’s an active abscess as you want to encourage draining.

Multiple problems are annoying for sure. Soaking and poulticing are right for abscess but won’t help the thrush to keep the frog wet and soft.

There are a few traditional remedies for hooves, and the pine tar/ Venice turpentine family of ingredients are in many brands of hoof packing and topicals. I’ve liked to put Venice turpentine on freshly trimmed feet and it does seem to harden up the cut edges but I’m not sure how much effect it has. I think they have mild antifungal properties and with the right added ingredients might stay in the hoof at least over night.

I like spraying iodine nightly to dry feet up a little.

But if you have real thrush (as opposed to just soft funky frogs) you might need a stronger remedy.

Other common ingredients for thrush remedies are copper sulfate, things in the chlorine family, and topicals with antibiotic properties like that mix of Athletes Foot cream and Polysporin some people use.

Also check your trim and hoof balance. Contracted heels and contracted frogs encourage thrush.

And check your nutrition especially the copper, zinc, biotin and amino acids critical to hoof health.

Generally I use Thrushbuster, which works when applied diligently. But yes, having to soak and poultice the abscess has not done the thrush any favours. Hopefully the sugar / iodine combo for a few weeks does the trick.

[SuzieQNutter]

Sugar draws. Iodine dries so should be a good combo.

[Sfbayequine]

When my vet had me do the sugar-dine, she had me repack daily. You might want to try that for now. Magic cushion is great after, at least in my experience. I greatly cools down the hoof and draws out a lot of pain on ouchy hooves.

[lorilu]

If you suspect an abcess, why try to harden the soles? (Really curious…) As to the thrush I like Groom’s Hand. FIne aerosol
, seems to really work.

[tabula_rashah]

Stop soaking, it’s been shown many times over that it doesn’t make any difference for abscesses and I’m have no doubt it’s making the thrush worse. I’d probably get films, see where the abscess is, get it dug out and then put shoes on with a copper sulfate pack under pads. And then take a good hard look at diet but crumbly feet plus issues with thrush screams diet to me.