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Hoof Cracks in Horses and How to Treat Them [Guide]
Hoof Anatomy Hoof Cracks Types Treatment White Line Disease Nutrition Horses are prone to hoof cracks for various reasons. Cracks can lead to the hoof chipping away in certain areas. [...]
Farrier Care for Horses: Hoof Balance, Trimming & Shoeing
Farrier Care Anatomy Hoof Balance Trimming Shoeing Pulled Shoes Barefoot Nutrition A strong hoof is the foundation of a sound horse. When it comes to proper hoof care, it's all [...]
Thrush in Horses: Causes, Signs & Treatment of this Hoof Infection
Thrush describes an infection that develops in the frog of one or more of the horse's hooves, caused by a fungal or bacterial pathogen. Fusobacterium necrophorum is the bacterium most often associated with thrush infections. Hooves with frogs that have deep sulci are prone to becoming infected with pathogens that cause thrush.
Acute Laminitis in Horses – A Review of Treatments for the Condition
Acute laminitis refers to the first few days of a laminitis episode during which clinical signs are observed. Laminitis is a painful condition that causes damage to the hoof laminae, which anchor the coffin bone to the hoof wall.
Emergency Protocol for Laminitis in Horses – Treatment & Prognosis
If your horse is showing signs of acute laminitis, they require emergency veterinary attention and prompt treatment. Laminitis affects the soft structures of the equine hoof, known as the laminae, and can cause significant pain and lameness.
Top 17 Risk Factors for Laminitis in Horses [+ How to Prevent]
One in ten horses is affected by laminitis each year. This painful condition involves inflammation of the hoof laminae, leading to varying degrees of lameness. Although laminitis affects the hooves, the condition is often initiated by dietary and metabolic factors.
Winter Laminitis in Horses: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment [Overview]
Winter laminitis is a circulatory condition that causes sore hooves in horses exposed to cold temperatures. Horses affected by winter laminitis have impaired circulation within their hooves, leading to pain and inflammation in the laminae.
14 Early Warning Signs of Laminitis in Horses [Countdown]
Hot hooves, a sawhorse stance, severe lameness; these are all signs of laminitis - one of the most dreaded equine conditions for good reason. In severe instances, laminitis can lead to euthanasia of the horse. Laminitis occurs when there is separation in the laminae of the hoof — where the hoof wall is connected to the coffin bone. It can occur in one or multiple hooves at the same time.
Barefoot Trimming for Horses: Benefits for the Hoof
Keeping horses barefoot is gaining in popularity because of the benefits in hoof health and movement it can provide some horses. Barefoot hoof trimming is designed to maximize the biomechanical efficiency of hoof function. It is favoured among horse owners who prefer more natural management of their equine companions.
7 Common Hoof Problems in Horses – Signs & Treatment
Equine hoof problems are a major source of concern for horse owners. Hoof issues can lead to lameness and unsoundness, causing discomfort for the horse and potentially leading to early retirement. In one study, 85% of horses were observed to have at least one form of hoof disorder when examined during regular hoof trimming.
Hoof Abscess: A Common Cause of Acute Lameness in Horses
Painful hoof abscesses in horses develop when bacterial or fungal organisms enter the hoof structure through a wound or opening and cause infection in the inner tissues. The invading microorganisms and the ensuing immune response generate purulent exudate (pus) which causes pressure inside the hoof. This leads to pain, structural damage and lameness.
Founder in Horses: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention
Founder is a common cause of lameness in horses. It involves damage to the laminar connection between the hoof wall and the coffin bone. This often leads to rotation and/or sinking of the coffin bone which causes severe pain and can permanently damage the hoof structure.
Podotrochlear Syndrome in Horses – Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment
Podotrochlear Syndrome (also referred to as navicular syndrome or navicular disease) affects the podoÂtrochlear apparatus (PTA) of the equine foot and typically occurs in the forelimbs. The condition can cause a variable degree of lameness. There is no single cause of Podotrochlear Syndrome. Multiple structures including bones, tendons, and ligaments within the foot can be affected.
![White Line Disease in Horses [Causes and Recovery]](https://madbarn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/White-Line-Disease-in-Horses-Causes-and-Recovery.jpg)
White Line Disease in Horses [Causes Symptoms, Treatment & Recovery]
While line disease is a hoof condition that can lead to pain and lameness. This condition affects the equine hoof wall in one or more hooves at a time. White line disease originates as a separation between adjacent layers in the hoof wall starting at the toe, quarter, and/or heel, which can then become infected with bacteria and fungi.
Navicular Syndrome in Horses: Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Horses exhibiting heel pain are often diagnosed with navicular syndrome. It is a common – and frustrating – issue to deal with, but it no longer spells immediate retirement for the horse. With early diagnosis and proper treatment, a horse with navicular syndrome may still have a useful life for a considerable period of time. Navicular syndrome is a chronic degenerative condition that can cause lameness in the front legs. It is most commonly seen in competition horses and quarter horses.
Laminitis in Horses: Symptoms, Causes, Risk Factors and Treatment
Equine laminitis is a painful inflammatory condition affecting the horse's hooves. Cases of laminitis range in severity from mild foot tenderness to chronic founder, potentially impeding the horse's ability to walk. Laminitis is the bane of any horse owner's existence. Horses affected by laminitis suffer excruciating pain as the soft hoof structures known as lamina become inflamed.
7 Science-Backed Benefits of Biotin for Horses
Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is required in the horse's diet for the production of keratin – the main protein that forms a strong, durable hoof structure. Biotin is most commonly known for supporting hoof growth and quality. It also supports many other elements of the horse's physiology, including fat and sugar metabolism, hair and coat quality and healthy skin.
Why Should You Care About The Frog?
Having a healthy frog is a key component of proper biomechanics and one of the secrets to being able to perform well barefoot. Is poor frog health responsible for lameness? According to the American Farriers Association [...]
What is a Healthy Hoof?
I’d like to share with you recent scientific data that seems to confirm the anecdotal evidence many trimmers, including me, have observed on what comprises a healthy hoof. When evaluating a hoof, we tend to focus on [...]
Welcome to the Hoof Health Blog
Welcome to the hoof health blog. My name is Catherine Larose and I guess you can call me a "hoof junkie". I was thrilled when Scott asked me to write this blog, as I have witnessed first hand how proper nutrition is [...]
