The topic for this month’s "Step by Step" is white line disease. Nothing would please me more than to write a helpful, informative article on white line disease for horse owners, but at this point, that article would have to be very, very short. We know very little about white line disease. Many people have ideas about what it is and how to treat it, and some people are very successful. I would suggest, however, that there is a great deal more to this whole problem than any of us know.

HOOFCARE & LAMENESS The elastic white line is the link between the inner sensitive laminae and the insensitive outer hoof wall Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content. TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com. Start your free account today! SIGN UP Already have an account? Login and continue reading. Share Fran Jurga Fran Jurga’s work promotes lameness-related research and information for practical use by farriers, veterinarians, and horse owners. She authored Understanding The Equine Foot, published by Eclipse Press. MORE ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR PrevPreviousA New Theory About Equine Foot Physiology NextAppropriations Bill Includes Money For Horse ProgramsNext Related Articles Understanding Essential Nutrients in Horse Diets Understanding Mineral Supplementation in Equine Diets Getting Ahead of Thrush Tick-Borne Diseases of Concern in U.S. Horses   Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com Learn More Sponsored Content Endocrine Disease and Performance Horses—More Than Laminitis Ask a Pro: 4CYTE™ for Horses: Why Early Joint Care Matters   Feeding Programs for Orphan Foals No posts found Weekly Poll sponsored by: What’s the biggest challenge you face when bringing your horse back into work after winter? Lack of time Weather and footing Horse's energy level or behavior Managing stiffness or soreness Other (please specify) 97 votes · 97 answers VOTEView poll resultsBack to vote View All Polls Readers’ Most Popular Caring for Young Horse Joints Mares in Heat: What’s Normal, What’s Not? Equine Metabolic Syndrome Researchers Review the Effects of Hyperflexion on Horse Welfare No posts found Top Categories Breeding and Reproduction Nutrition Horse Care Hoof Care Diseases and Conditions Vet and Professional Partners in Equine Health Seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy. Follow us Youtube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Our Sites Resources Company Your Privacy Choices Data Subject Access Request Cookie Consent Privacy Policy Seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy. Copyright ©2025 Equine Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without written permission of Equine Network, LLC is prohibited. THE HORSE, THE HORSE logo, THEHORSE.com and THEHORSE.com logo are trademarks of Equine Network, LLC. Sign In Username Password Remember Me Log In Lost your password? Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here. Create a free account with TheHorse.com! "*" indicates required fields Name* First Last Email* Mobile Phone Password* Enter Password Confirm Password Country* United StatesCanadaAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos IslandsColombiaComorosCongo, Democratic Republic of theCongo, Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicCôte d'IvoireDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatini (Swaziland)EthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly SeeHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth KoreaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine, State ofPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaRéunionSaint BarthélemySaint HelenaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint MartinSaint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint MaartenSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth GeorgiaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan Mayen IslandsSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUS Minor Outlying IslandsUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishVirgin Islands, U.S.Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweÅland Islands Profile Do you own a horse? Yes No How many horses do you own? Do you own a horse trailer? Yes No Do you own a horse farm? Yes No What is your primary involvement in the horse industry? Horse OwnerRiderTrainerFarrierVeterinarian or Vet StudentVet Technician or Vet Tech StudentOther (Please Specify) Other Involvement In which equestrian disciplines do you ride, show, or participate? Western English Newsletter Offers Weekly Newsletters Horse Health - the latest in horse health care, disease, and equine research, delivered to your inbox once a week. Nutrition - Equine nutrition and feeding strategies Soundness & Lameness - Recognizing, treating, and preventing injuries to keep your horse sound Welfare & Industry - Equine welfare and rescue, and news of the worldwide horse industry Reader Favorites - The most viewed content from TheHorse.com delivered in a convenient weekly digest Monthly Newsletters Equine Behavior - How and why horses act the way they do and how to correct problem behaviors Breeding - Breed and raise the healthier horses with help from the world's foremost breeding experts Older Horse Care - How to take the best possible care of your senior equine friends Sports Medicine - All aspects of caring for performance horses Vet & Professional - News and issues for equine health professionals Other Newsletters In-Depth - News, in-depth information, and timeless tips on a particular health problem or aspect of horse care Equine Innovators - Stay updated with insightful interviews featuring leading equine researchers from top universities and institutions in this podcast series. TheHorse.com Announcements - Event notifications and special promotions from TheHorse.com TheHorse.com Partners and Special Offers - Special offers from TheHorse.com's partners SMS Notifications - I would like to receive text messages with special offers and more from Equine Network and its affiliates. Data rates may apply. By clicking "subscribe", I consent to Equine Network’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service and I represent that I am over 16 years old. Close GDPR Cookie Settings Privacy Overview Strictly Necessary Cookies Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Strictly Necessary Cookies Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Enable or Disable Cookies Enabled Disabled If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Enable All Save Settings