Prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot
My 17-year-old Arab gelding has been diagnosed with ringbone. His granddam and another of her offspring also had this disease. What exactly is ringbone? Is it hereditary? What is its cause?
Your horse is limping and a detailed visual exam by your veterinarian reveals a small black spot, suggesting a puncture wound. Your veterinarian radiographs the hoof: The X rays confirm the diagnosis, clearly showing the direction and depth of
Hoof care is one of the most important aspects of quality horse management. Hoof trimming, good nutrition, and
They are questions most horse owners have pondered at one time or another. Does my horse really need shoes? Do they help or hinder him?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Consideration must be given to several factors, including a horse’
“A simple heel bulb laceration may look like a regular ‘nothing’ cut, but it could be life-threatening if it’s in the coffin joint, so you need to get it evaluated right away,” said Robin M. Dabareiner, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, while describing a
Would black walnut tree shavings be safe to use as trail mulch?
My 13-year-old Morgan has had very bad thrush for six years. Can you share suggested treatments or possible solutions?
Fall deworming is important; winter is usually when internal parasites do the most damage and rob the horse of vital nutrients.
Even if you have a farrier do your shoeing you should still learn how to pull a shoe properly. There are situations where you should not wait for a farrier.
A word about how MRI works is appropriate before launching into a discussion of the foot and problems that can occur in the heel area, because MRI has opened the door to a better understanding of foot conditions in general.
The second most-common killer of our horses after colic is laminitis. The disease is a crisis, and it is often chronic and life-altering. It can be caused by illness unrelated to the foot, such as a retained placenta or grain overload. It can be
A survey of American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) members identified laminitis as the number one disease that requires research. Therefore, the Equine Laminitis Research Meeting and Panel will be held in
What do you feed a horse with laminitis? Nothing, plus a bit of hay is a common diet. Does it work? Yes, and no. Expert opinions and modern research are showing that, in some cases, nothing might be the wrong answer when it comes to feedstuffs,
Healthy bone undergoes constant metabolic change to prevent bone loss or abnormal remodeling (cell turnover) that can occur with loading. Horses with navicular disease can have abnormal remodeling and formation of osteolytic lesions (areas of
There are many reasons a horse might stumble. Work with your veterinarian and farrier to determine the cause, since the onset of stumbling might indicate a shoeing/trimming problem, or could be a warning of serious health problems.
Just about every horse out there has what we might call a hoof problem on at least one of his four feet.
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