Keratin & Fungus

[Humphrey]

Hi,

I'm a horse owner, not a farrier. I am facing a possible resection on 4 hooves, which has prompted me to do a lot of research on whiteline disease. I have come across 2 findings I wanted to share with the board for comments and opinions.

1) A Cornell study (http://www.farrierscience.com/whiteln.htm) found that whiteline was caused by fungus, not bacteria, as previously thought.

2) The above study found that fungus actually feeds off keratin (also found in egg whites).

I recently used a product with keratin on my horse's cracked hooves not realizing that the actual cause of these cracks was white line disease, which, if the above study is correct is caused by fungus. After using this product, it wasn't long before my horse's hooves went from bad to worse and literally started peeling away to the point where I was left with negligible hoof wall!

The study suggests there is a connection between my use of a keratin product and the worsening of my horse's condition. If that is the case, I wanted to share this experience so that no one else makes the same mistake!

As for how the horse came down with white line, and how I managed to let it happen is another story. Call it inexperience, ignorance. I never thought to look at the hoof when the shoe was removed, largely because I was rarely around when my horse was shod. I must say too that even if I'd had a chance to see the hoof myself, I probably wouldn't have known what I was looking at in the first place! I won't make that mistake again...

Comments appreciated..