Formaldehyde for feet?

[kunama]

ok what about Formaldehyde , (spelt as it sounds not the correct spelling!) , on the frog to stop thrush and harden the sole, being very carefull not to get it on the skin!

[MelanieD]

I wouldn't use it. The formaldehyde I use at work to fix (and kill!) cells is less concentrated than in hoof hardener. It can be used on the sole and walls as a hardener but unless you have a problem other than thrush it's not the best thing to use.

Borax is really good for treating thrush and cheap but you do need to do it regularly until the thrush is gone. Cramming MSM cream into any gaps is another good way to kill thrush.

[kunama]

i've never heard of Borax before, but have used formaldehyde to harden feet for years, where do you get Borax from?

[Kanuma]

formaldahyde is used to preserve dead bodies, it is also very very toxic.
i wouldnt be putting it anywhere near any of my horses or myself for that matter!!!!! a small amount of it can kill you so putting it on a horse cant be doing wonders for the poor horse.
thrush can be trated with borax, hibiscrub, or the best one of all preventing it in the first place by haveing a clean bed, picking out feet regularly and not makeing them stand in thier own muck!

[galadriel]

A farrier of my acquaintance suggests rubbing alcohol to harden feet. Seems like it would be safer and probably cheaper.

[kunama]

think i'm giveing you guys the wrong idea about me! NONE of my horses stand in wet dirty beds EVER and none of them have thrush , formaldehyde can be used to treat thrush but i use it to harden soles mostly , i was just wondering if any one else has come across it much.
As for a small amount can kill you , well yes , but only if you drink it!

[KarinUS]

It's very harsh and I wouldn't use it. Especially if your only purpose is to harden the soles.
But we don't know what country you are in. :) Maybe in your country they only have these harsh chemicals available and milder, more modern applications are difficult to come by? :o
Where are you from, kunama?

[Kanuma]

i persoaly like that hoof hardener you can get from the people who do the hoof putty in the little white pots (will have a look when i go home) it is bright purple but it seems to work

[Bay Mare]

formaldahyde is used to preserve dead bodies, it is also very very toxic.
i wouldnt be putting it anywhere near any of my horses or myself for that matter!!!!!

Me neither :eek: It's horrendous stuff, I'm surprised that it's available to buy like that :eek:

For thrush etc I used Borax though Clean Trax is good too (though more fiddly). I've also heard of something from Absorbine which has got good reviews.

As far as hardening the feet is concerned I'd rather do 'conditioning' work than stick stuff on unless there was a very real need. When I did ballet we used surgical spirits on our toes, you should see what my feet look like now never mind then! Apart from the fact that it stung like hell it was awful stuff.

[virtuallyhorses]

It's horrendous stuff, I'm surprised that it's available to buy like that

Many of the commerical thrush products are formaldehyde - just read the labels. Mustad Thrush buster is one I can think of off the top of my head but I know there are others.

No, not keen on it - I'm a terror for not wearing gloves and I worry about the potential consequences if it were to come into contact with me or any of the horses. I know it evaporates but our horses commonly lick the ground (for scraps of spilled feed) around where they stand... :eek:

[kunama]

KarinUS thanks for being the first to send a slightly understanding answer! I live in Cornwall UK, i am english speaking just can't spell!

So it seems to be an old fashioned remady only used in our area!?! I did get it on my thumb once and it didnt sting or blister, it got a bit dry , but my thum is still attached! Youll also find it is a key ingrediant in Keretex hoof hardener.

As for hardening soles correctly , i have had my throughbred barefoot behind to sort his feet for six months , it has not been fun for either of us but we've worked through it and he now has grate feet.

[KarinUS]

As for hardening soles correctly , i have had my throughbred barefoot behind to sort his feet for six months , it has not been fun for either of us but we've worked through it and he now has grate feet.

Me, too! I took my TB barefoot at the beginning of the year and it took a while for him to feel comfortable on more challenging terrain but eventually we got there. :) We didn't use anything to harden the soles. It just takes some time for them to adjust and grow out healthier feet. :)

[kunama]

he's got hind shoes on again now his feet are good because i like to go XC and it rains so much down here i need the grip! but i will go bare again if they start to go bad, it was worth doing.