Peeling fork: normal or worrying?

When treating thrush with ozone — particularly with the Baggins protocol (gaseous ozone ) or with ozonated oils — a surprising phenomenon is often observed: a complete shedding of the frog. This "dead skin " that detaches can worry owners… when in fact it is an excellent sign of healing.

This article explains:

• Why does the fork molt?
• how ozone accelerates this process,
• How to distinguish a normal molt from a pathological sign.

Understanding the shedding of the fork

The frog is a living keratinized tissue. It regenerates naturally, but when it is affected by rot (fungal and/or bacterial infection), the tissues become:

• spongy,
• foul-smelling
• brittle,
• sometimes painful.

When the environment is reinfected or too humid, the fork produces poor quality tissue, which remains attached to the surface.

It is this unhealthy tissue that we see "molting" during treatment.

Why does ozone trigger a visible molt?

Ozone provides deep cleansing

In bagging, gaseous ozone:

• eliminates fungi and bacteria.
• oxygenates the tissues,
• immediately activates local circulation and repair mechanisms.

Under the effect of ozone, the infected tissue ceases to be “fed” and detaches naturally.

We don't "scrape to remove": the fork chooses what needs to come off

Ozone does not decapitate — it selects :

• Dead tissue = eliminated
• Healthy tissues = preserved

It's like when treating a skin wound: ozone promotes natural debridement.

This is not deterioration: it is biological cleansing.

What the owner sees: a typical sequence

If the molt appears, the treatment is working.

What you absolutely must not do

Scratch aggressively

Cut away the shreds with a farrier's knife "to make it look neat".

Add acidic/drying products (hydrogen peroxide, bleach, diluted bleach, methylene blue)

Ozone replaces antiseptics, antibacterials and antifungals.

The more you let the body do its job, the healthier the regrowth will be.

How to support molting with ozone?

Standard protocol:

1. Ozone bagging ( 20–25 minutes)
2. Application of OZONE HOOF GUARD to the fork (barrier + sanitation)
3. Follow the recommended protocol.

How can you tell if the molt is normal?

normal molt:

• no strong odor
• fork that quickly becomes firm underneath
• The horse did not react to the poll.

Cases requiring veterinary advice:

• extremely painful fork under pressure
• deep crevice with abundant flow In 95% of cases, the shedding observed during ozone treatment is a natural debridement, a sign that the sanitation is effective.

Conclusion

The shedding of the fork is not a problem: it is the solution.

Ozone:

• eliminates the germs responsible for rot,
• triggers the elimination of diseased tissue
• reveals a healthy fork ready to grow back. If the frog is shedding, it means the foot is starting over on a good footing.