What Causes Seedy Toe in Horses?

Noticed a dark, crumbly patch along your horse's white line during a routine hoof pick? It might look small now, but seedy toe in horses can tunnel up through the hoof wall at roughly 1cm per month. What appears as a tiny defect at the toe can quickly eat away internal tissue, causing painful abscesses or requiring major resections.

Seedy toe is caused by anaerobic bacteria that invade the white line when the hoof wall separates from the underlying laminae. This bacterial infection thrives in oxygen-deprived environments, consuming the keratin that holds your horse's hoof together. But the infection itself is rarely the starting point – it's what happens when mechanical stress, poor conformation, or underlying conditions like laminitis create the perfect entry point for opportunistic bacteria.

Key Takeaways

Seedy toe in horses develops when:

• Hoof wall separation occurs (from laminitis, overgrown hooves, or biomechanical stress).
• Anaerobic bacteria enter through compromised white line areas.
• Wet, muddy conditions soften the hoof horn, making invasion easier.
• Poor trimming schedules allow leverage forces to tear the wall away from internal structures.
• The infection spreads upward through the hoof capsule, often undetected until advanced.

What is Seedy Toe in Horses?

What is seedy toe in horses, exactly? It's a bacterial infection that attacks the bond between your horse's hoof wall and the sensitive laminae underneath, appearing anywhere around the white line.

The bacteria are anaerobic, meaning they don't need oxygen to survive. Once they enter through a crack, stretched white line, or separation point, they create cavities filled with black, crumbly material. From the outside, the hoof might look normal. But tap it with a hoof pick, and you'll often hear a hollow sound that signals significant damage underneath.

Many owners don't realise their horse has seedy toe until a farrier points it out during a routine trim. And here's the concerning part – horses rarely go lame from it until the infection reaches an advanced stage, meaning substantial damage can occur silently.

Root Causes of Seedy Toe

Seedy toe in horses doesn't just appear randomly. It requires two things: a compromised hoof wall and the right environment for bacteria to thrive.

Laminitis & Chronic White Line Damage

Laminitis is the most common underlying cause. When the laminae become inflamed or stretched, the hoof wall pulls away from the sensitive structures. This creates gaps where bacteria can colonise. Even low-grade, subclinical laminitis (the kind that doesn't cause obvious lameness) can weaken the white line enough to invite infection.

Biomechanical Stress & Poor Conformation

Long toes create massive leverage forces every time your horse moves. The hoof wall literally bends upward with each step, tearing away from the laminae. Horses with underrun heels, club feet, or high-heel conformation experience similar shearing stress at the toe. Over time, this mechanical pressure opens pathways for bacteria.

Environmental Factors

Wet, marshy paddocks soften the hoof horn, making it easier for bacteria to penetrate. But here's what many miss: seedy toe can develop in any climate. The key factor is whether your horse's hooves have time to dry out and whether bacteria in the soil can access vulnerable areas.

Trim Schedule Failures

Farriers recommend 4-6 week intervals for good reason. Between trims, hoof wall overgrowth creates leverage that pulls the wall away from internal structures. By the time your farrier arrives at week 8 or 10, what started as a tiny separation has become a bacterial invasion site.

Early Warning Signs Horse Owners Miss

Check your horse's hooves for these red flags:

• Small holes or dark staining along the white line, particularly at the toe
• A hollow sound when you tap the hoof wall with a pick
• Crumbly, chalky material where the sole meets the wall
• Recurring abscesses that blow out at the coronet band
• Subtle wall flares or separation that wasn't there last month

If you spot any of these signs, don't wait for your next scheduled trim. Call your farrier immediately. Seedy toe caught early might only need a small "nick out" with a hoof knife. Left unchecked for two or three trim cycles, it could require a resection affecting a quarter of the hoof capsule.

Treatment for Seedy Toe in Horses

The treatment for seedy toe in horses focuses on one critical principle: exposing the infection to oxygen.

Your farrier will cut away the damaged hoof wall to remove all infected tissue. The bacteria can't survive when exposed to air and light. Small resections might be barely noticeable when your horse stands, but severe cases may require removing significant portions of the wall.

After resection, your farrier may recommend metal horse shoes or aluminium horse shoes to stabilise the hoof structure during healing. Bar shoes are particularly useful when pedal bone rotation has occurred. The right farrier tools make all the difference in achieving clean, thorough resections that heal properly.

Between farrier visits, keep the area clean and protected from debris. Your vet may recommend topical treatments, and some farriers use barrier products to seal the resection from moisture and dirt.

Remember, new hoof wall grows down from the coronary band at roughly 1cm per month. Complete recovery can take 8-12 months, depending on how far the infection has spread.

Protect Your Horse from Seedy Toe

Understanding the causes of seedy toe in horses is your first line of defence. Stick to regular 4-6 week farrier visits, inspect hooves daily for early warning signs, and address any underlying laminitis or metabolic issues with your vet.

Browse quality horse shoes for sale at Scone Equine Group to support your horse's hoof health with properly fitted, professional-grade farrier supplies – because prevention starts with the right tools and proactive care.

Caught early and treated properly, most horses recover completely from seedy toe.