Check out the latest thrush and anti-fungal treatments from some of the industry's leading suppliers.

Thrush is a mixed bacterial infection in the grooves along the side of the frog, in the central cleft of the frog and/or in the crease between the heel bulbs. It usually involves the organism Spherophorus necrophorus (aka Fusobacterium necrophorus), which requires a very low oxygen environment to grow. Although this organism is capable of invading skin, it usually needs other bacteria to do so effectively. Exactly how this works is incompletely understood, but one theory is that the other bacteria will keep the oxygen level low enough for S. necrophorus to survive.

American Farriers Journal Editor/Publisher Frank Lessiter met up with AAPF V.P. Dave Farley (Coshocton, Ohio) at the 2012 AAPF Hoofcare Essentials Clinic to discuss differences in heel height, and how thrush is a factor in hoof balance.