Prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot
Going barefoot can benefit many horses, especially during the cold months when snow can pack onto steel. But pulling shoes requires planning to ensure horses’ continued comfort.
Metabolic profiling might hold the key to pinpointing which at-risk equids are most likely to develop the hoof disease laminitis.
Dr. Scott Morrison describes the issues low heels can cause and the mechanical tools farriers and veterinarians can use to address them.
Using sensors, scientists found hoof breakover lasts a shorter amount of time in certain gaits when the horse has wedges, rolled-toe shoes, or palmarly placed shoes compared to normal shoes.
Veterinarians have warned owners of PPID horses about the predisposition they carry for laminitis. However, recent research suggests it’s not that black and white.
We asked two experts how they approach laminitis and try to keep affected horses comfortable.
Meet Tokyo Olympic Head Farrier Ben Benson of Great Britain, and learn what it takes to keep high-performance horses shod during the Games.
Hormone imbalances wreak havoc on horses and their hooves. Here’s advice to help manage equine metabolic syndrome.
Dr. Andrew van Eps suggests addressing obesity now to prevent laminitis, shares new insight into supporting limb laminitis, and offers advice about icing feet in acute cases.
Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, or equine Cushing’s disease) is caused by an enlargement of the pituitary gland’s middle lobe (the pars intermedia), which results in an overproduction of hormones that regulate bodily functions. Learn more about this disease in our slideshow.
Learn how veterinarians diagnosed and managed six real-life equine Cushing’s cases that strayed from the classic scenarios.
It still isn’t clear how PPID leads to insulin issues and subsequent laminitis. But vets and researchers do know that, regardless of how PPID horses develop insulin dysregulation, having both conditions leads to a poorer prognosis than having either alone.
Aged horses require the same, if not higher, level of care as their younger counterparts. Learn about the unique needs of old horses, and meet five over-30 horses with age-related ailments.
Researchers found that horses 25 years and older are more likely to suffer chronic laminitis even if they aren’t showing obvious clinical signs of disease.
How would you react if your horse stepped on a nail? One practitioner outlines the steps you should take.
Our nutritionist helps resolve a debate between friends about whether a horse with poor hoof quality would benefit from a hoof supplement or a properly portioned ration balancer.
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