The concept of a balanced foot can be subjective, but farriers are now using technological advances to take some of the guesswork out of the process. Patrick T. Reilly, chief of farrier services at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, discussed evaluating hoof balance with in-shoe force measurements.

Horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) are at a higher risk for laminitis than the average horse, but veterinarians are learning more about diagnosing EMS early and minimizing its effects, including laminitis. At the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif., Thomas J. Divers, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC, professor and Chief of Large Animal Medicine at Cornell University,

Seeing the forest for the trees with regards to laminitis can be difficult because researchers are approaching the problem from many different angles, often at the molecular level. At the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif., Thomas J. Divers, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC, professor and Chief of Large Animal Medicine at Cornell University spoke about how veterinarians are

Corrective shoeing for laminitis doesn’t always work, despite veterinarians’ and farriers’ best efforts, and it’s not always clear why a particular shoeing job isn’t successful. In-shoe force measurements, however, can show the effects of shoeing on the foot, allowing for timely adjustments and improved treatments. During the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif.,

How veterinarians and farriers manage the chronically laminitic foot can often determine whether that horse can live a useful, relatively pain-free life. During the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif., Bob Agne, DVM, an equine podiatrist at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., discussed how the Rood & Riddle podiatry team approaches such cases.

Because laminitis compromises the equine foot so drastically, horses with the disease are more prone to foot infections and abscesses. During the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif., Bob Agne, DVM, an equine podiatrist at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., discussed how to diagnose and treat such infections.

When laminitis develops to the point that the hoof wall is restricting blood supply to the laminae and causing further inflammation, a hoof wall resection might be needed. Amy Rucker, DVM, of Midwest Equine in Columbia, Mo., spoke about when to do resections and methods that give veterinarians the best chance for success during the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif.

Even though veterinarians and farriers are making progress in developing laminitis treatment techniques and researching the causes of laminitis, prevention is still the No. 1 defense against a disease that plagues all too many horses. During the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif., Bob Agne, DVM, an equine podiatrist at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, in Lexington, Ky.,

Laminitis begins well before clinical signs occur, at the cellular or even the molecular level, and addressing platelets might be a key to prevention or early treatment. Jamie Textor, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, an equine surgeon and PhD candidate at the University of California, Davis, spoke about the role of platelets in laminitis during the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference, in Monterey, Calif.

Insulin-resistant horses are prone to laminitis, but owners and veterinarians can often successfully manage them through strict diet and exercise regimens so that they don’t develop laminitis. Ray J. Geor, BVSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, professor and Chair of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University, outlined some of those regimens at the Sept. 17-1

We might be feeding our horses too well, at least as far as predisposing them to laminitis. Ray J. Geor, BVSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, professor and chair of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University, spoke about controlling nutritional risks in pre- and post-laminitic horses at the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif.

Proper blood flow to the laminae of the hoof is critical at all times, but especially when a horse develops laminitis. Diagnostic techniques that can reveal how blood is flowing–or not–can help veterinarians catch laminitis early. Amy Rucker, DVM, of Midwest Equine in Columbia, Mo., discussed the importance of digital venograms in diagnosing and treating laminitis during the Sept. 17-18 La

Because horses afflicted with equine Cushing’s disease often develop laminitis, advances in diagnosis and treatment of Cushing’s can help veterinarians better prevent and/or treat the laminitis that stems from it. Nora Grenager, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM, of the Steinbeck Country Equine Clinic, in Salinas, Calif., updated attendees on Cushing’s at the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference

The image of a farrier as a young, burly man able to nail on horseshoes using sheer strength has long given way to a more eclectic picture. Today’s farrier can be almost any age and might just as easily be a woman as a man.

When trainer Doug O’Neill’s charges head to the racetrack during training hours at Hollywood Park, a familiar dark bay gelding often accompanies them. Lava Man, who won three Hollywood Gold Cups during a long racing career in which he earned $5,268,706, has settled into his new job as a stable pony.

“Sabas Rivera, one of my foremen, spent probably two or three hours a