The visible signs of chronic laminitis are enough to break any horse owner's heart–the dished, ridged hoof walls, the uncomfortable gait. But what's at the heart of the visible clinical signs, and, once a horse has progressed to this stage, can we do anything to significantly improve his quality of life?

Chris Pollitt, BVSc, PhD, head of the Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit at the University of Queensland, discussed lessons he's learned from years of researching and managing chronic laminitis at the fourth annual Promoting Excellence Symposium of the Florida Association of Equine Practitioners (FAEP). The meeting was held Sept. 25-27, 2008, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Chronic laminitis encompasses the lingering aftereffects of the acute phase. In chronic laminitis the distal phalanx (the bone within the hoof capsule, also known as P3 or the coffin bone) has displaced. He said that as we watch laminitis progress via radiographs, we can see the toe rotating downward, a change that often causes significant remodeling.

Pollitt explained that this remodeling is caused by a multitude of factors working in conjunction. First, the weight of the horse pushes down on the bone and strains the already-inflamed lamellae (the Velcro-like fibers that secure the bone to the inside of the hoof capsule). These tear, allowing the bone to pull away. But along with this, the ongoing growth of the hoof occurs differently than it did before the laminitis first developed