A Game-Changing Laminitis Study

Laminitis. As a horse owner, a rider, or enthusiast, the word just makes you shudder, doesn’t it? I’m convinced that few topics of horse health importance evoke as visceral response as this one. The outcomes for many of our favorite horses who have developed painful coffin bone rotation or sinking–whether these animals were famous as […]

Posted by Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director | Oct 1, 2012 | Horse Sense (and Sensibility)

Laminitis. As a horse owner, a rider, or enthusiast, the word just makes you shudder, doesn’t it?

I’m convinced that few topics of horse health importance evoke as visceral response as this one. The outcomes for many of our favorite horses who have developed painful coffin bone rotation or sinking–whether these animals were famous as athletes or infamous in our own personal barnsÐhaven’t always been too sunny.

We all know a horse who’s battled laminitis; the first two horses I rode as a child eventually succumbed to laminitis. This mare, a Tennessee Walker named Sensation’s Beauty, was one of them (here, piloted by my mom with me in tow).

Given the importance of this disease to horse owners, I wasn’t surprised when my friend and trusted source Dr. Rustin Moore (DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, Bud and Marilyn Jenne Professor and Associate Dean for Clinical and Outreach Programs at The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine) told me the other week that he considered laminitis the No. 1 equine research concern/direction right now. And it’s not just because it’s a topic about which he’s passionate or there’s laminitis research going on at Ohio State. In fact, he said we really need to pay attention to the major laminitis study going on at Texas A

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About The Author

Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director

Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director, grew up riding and caring for her family's horses in Central Virginia and received a B.A. in journalism and equestrian studies from Averett University. She joined The Horse in 1999 and has led the editorial team since 2010. A 4-H and Pony Club graduate, she enjoys dressage, eventing, and trail riding with her former graded-stakes-winning Thoroughbred gelding, It Happened Again ("Happy"). Stephanie and Happy are based in Lexington, Kentucky.

30 Comments

mooncloud2011 on June 19, 2013 at 12:24 pm

re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study

My Irish sports horse gelding has had laminitis four times. I have successfully treated him using double cream. It works as an anti-inflammatory and I found it far more effective than bute. In 5 days he went from grade IV laminitis to trotting round th
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shiningrock on October 2, 2012 at 9:06 pm

re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study

Laminitis is not a disease it is a symptom. It means swollen inflamed laminae. Cryotherapy if done properly,started soon enough and continued long enough will always eliminate the swelling in the laminae because cold is antiinflammatory. Cold is also a
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- jatoomey on October 3, 2012 at 6:40 am
  
  re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
  
  I used to leave a round bale of hay in the run in shed for my horse to eat when there wasn’t any grass in the pasture….big mistake! My mare foundered. It had been coming on slow and painful for her. My farrier had been warning me for quite some time
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  - don_dizney on October 3, 2012 at 6:29 pm
    
    re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
    
    Sorry to here about all the horses with laminitis.I have cured many of them it’s a lot of hard work but it’s worth it.Yes it can be done but the veternarian cant make any money at it. You can do it your self.Maybe the auther wont omit this.If I can hel
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    - glover on October 3, 2012 at 8:42 pm
      
      re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
      
      Low magnesium is a problem which doesn’t get much press. My horses are doing much better on various magnesium supplements, with or without chromium depending on the horse.
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      - mikewatempire on October 4, 2012 at 7:14 pm
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        I have brought one of of mares(now expired) back fro m founder and laminitis. Our vet said we are done, our farrier said there is nothing I can do(after 4-5 expensive different attempts.) I went on an internet research frenzy. I found Pete Ramey and Ci
      - Patterc8 on October 6, 2012 at 1:09 pm
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        Sinking founder (right front only which, incidentially, was a club foot) caused the death of our 17 yr old 5 weeks ago. As you can imagine, we are heart broken.
        
        How it began – we discovered our half arabian/half saddlebred had IR six year
      - rdasedona on October 7, 2012 at 10:44 am
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        I lost both of my Arabian mares to laminitis – Rose had IR, Lily had Cushings, and they were diagnosed within days of each other. The trigger for the laminitis was thought to be (along with the metabolic issues) the extreme Arizona heat that we h
      - wendyacarter on October 9, 2012 at 1:03 pm
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        We have had a problem with laminitis with our Irish Sports Horse. He was not so bad that he had any rotation, but he was in obvious pain and all his pulses were up in all his feet. We were at a yard that seemed to develop a lot of cases of
      - schurch on October 10, 2012 at 2:40 pm
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        I love how you all can remember the details of your animals’ care, no matter the outcome. It really shows me how dedicated you all are to your horses, which is inspiring. Thank you for being conscientious, caring horse owners.
      - wildfilly13 on October 16, 2012 at 12:33 pm
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        I’m SO surprised not to see the mention of Dr. Eleanor Kellon’s work here. She’s been on the forefront of the latest research on Insulin Resistance and Cushings horses. She is THE leading vet and researcher on Insulin Resistance and Cushings horses. Mu
susan_stinnett on October 2, 2012 at 9:39 am

re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study

My 17yr old TWH had laminitis 2 yrs ago with no rotation or lasting effects. My vets could not find the source for quite some time. He wasn’t overfed, didn’t have fresh green grass etc. Later we found it was from stomach ulcers which he showed ze
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- lovetagallop on October 2, 2012 at 11:41 am
  
  re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
  
  I lost my TB gelding from laminitis and other complications of Cushings disease this past summer (during those hellacious 100+ degree weeks we had in July [abnormal for our area]). It was a long, hard road which I learned much more than I thought I kne
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  - schurch on October 2, 2012 at 11:58 am
    
    re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
    
    To the Sarahs who commented–Sarah #1, thank you for your comment on the educational material we offer. I’m glad it was useful to you as you treated your horse and your friend’s. Sarah #2, you’re right, we are lifelong students as horse owners. Everyon
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    - saraybin on October 2, 2012 at 12:14 pm
      
      re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
      
      I lost a 3 year old arabian filly to laminitis. Unfortunately the vet misdiagosed her with just having abcess front feet and she was never treated correctly. We spent a month trying to save her but she ultimately litterally had her hoof rotting off her
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      - realrush89 on October 2, 2012 at 12:19 pm
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        I had a TB mare who had suffered a mild bout of laminitis in her RF hoof with some minor rotation, but was 100% fine on her LF. She meant a lot to me, so at one point decided to breed her. My vet thinks she was probably on the verge of havi
      - ssuark on October 2, 2012 at 2:21 pm
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        I bought a mare who developed laminitis after retaining part of her placenta. I bred her in 2010 and at about 6 months of pregnancy and in mid-winter, she started developing laminitis within 4 days of being started on a low-carb, low-sugar extruded fee
      - schurch on October 2, 2012 at 4:07 pm
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        That’s a really interesting observation, Carol. I haven’t heard of horses sensitive to soy. We are running an article next spring on food sensitivities; I’ll ask the writer if she plans on getting into soy.
      - lynngs on October 2, 2012 at 6:19 pm
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        I had 2 horses experience laminitis,both foundered. We pulled the shoes on both horses, trimmed them to have short toes, lowered the heels, changed the diets to low starch, high fiber, stood them in ice cold hoof boots for a few days. It took abo
      - minihoss on October 2, 2012 at 6:37 pm
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        I’m grateful for the advances made in treating laminitis today. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there were not many options or cures for the disease but both of my horses lived to be in their late 20s before having laminitis problems (in the old day
      - knlandscapes70 on October 2, 2012 at 8:19 pm
        
        re: A Game-Changing Laminitis Study
        
        another old condition that has become a modern epidemic – modern pasture management & feeds ?? . In Australia we battle low magnesium levels which also factor in insulin resistance. Many people are having success following Pat Coleby’s advice of ma