It appears that antimicrobial effects of copper-alloy do apply to the application of copper-alloy horseshoes in reducing the microbial damage to the horses’ white line.
Treatment of white line infections has traditionally been to remove the affected area of the white line and treat with some form of antimicrobial topical. Horse owner compliance at applying daily topicals to combat white line infections is reportedly short lived. The effectiveness of daily topicals also comes into question once a horseshoe is applied to the hoof. Traditional horseshoes made of steel and aluminum provide no antibacterial qualities. The application of copper-alloy horseshoes has been shown in studies to help with combating bacterial and fungal infections of the white line and eliminate the need for horse owners to apply daily topicals.