5 Essentials Every Horse Owner Needs To Know About Laminitis

1. It can happen to any horse

Laminitis isn’t just for fat ponies! 

‘~itis’ on the end of a word indicates inflammation so Laminitis means inflammation of the laminae. Inflammation is a healing response.

This means Laminitis can happen to any horse, or indeed any hooved animal. My focus is on the horses, ponies…. Any equid really.

Too much grass is the most commonly known cause of laminitis, which is why it's considered a problem for fat ponies. But there are other risk factors too.

These things increase the risk of laminitis, but it’s by no means an exhaustive list and horses can still get laminitis even if they’re not considered to be in a high risk group.

2. It’s all about the inflammation

We already know that laminitis means there’s inflammation in the hoof capsule (see point 1) but we really need to look deeper at what that inflammation is doing to the hoof.

Firstly, I’d say that while laminitis means inflammation of the laminae, it’s actually the whole internal foot that is inflamed, not just the laminae. Often it’s not just the whole foot that’s inflamed, but the whole horse. 

Systemic inflammation is pretty common in our modern world, and while it makes us feel a bit rubbish, it’s not debilitating. The body expands, and gets a bit puffy, skin can stretch, we get on with our life.

But the hoof… The hoof can’t stretch. This is what makes inflammation so debilitating for the hooves. The inflammation causes pressure inside the hoof capsule, and can be anything from sore to excruciatingly painful.

Ironically, the stronger a hoof is, the less able it is to accommodate inflammation.

That’s why traditionally good footed horses, are also traditionally laminitis prone horses ie. Ponies, Natives, Arabs, Cobs etc. The Thoroughbreds aren’t off the hook though - keep reading… 

3. The vast majority of hoof pathology and deformity is caused by or related to inflammation

I know that’s quite a claim, but give me a moment to explain.

Inflammation causes pressure in the hoof. Mild inflammation causes mild pressure and acute inflammation causes acute pressure.

Pressure stimulates hoof growth, but pressure also interferes with blood flow to the hooves, and this can result in weak poor quality growth due to lack of nutrients getting to the foot.

We’re familiar with the hoof damage caused by acute laminitis, but what will you see with mild inflammation and low grade laminitis?

What do I mean by growth rate issues? So glad you asked :) 

For some horses inflammation causes the growth rate to slow down due to lack of nutrients getting the hoof. Thoroughbreds, I’m looking at you. Low grade laminitis can cause weak splatty hooves with thin soles, weak heels, weak white lines rubbish hoof wall - chips, cracks, flare and infection.

But for some horses that inflammation may speed up the growth. You’ll see fast growth, with flare, cracks, sometimes thick soles, strong heels, hoof infection and weak white lines. This is more typical for native types, cobs, ponies etc.

4. It’s the inflammation that causes most of the pain

When your horse has mild inflammation they will show signs of being foot sore. They may be foot sore on stones, or hard surfaces, it might be a shortened stride, or reluctance to go forwards. It might be that they’re ok in a straight line but they seem ‘off’ on a circle, or reluctant to turn.

These are all signs of low grade laminitis; Signs of lameness and pain in the hoof.

I’m saying this because I can’t count the times I’ve been told ‘my horse isn’t lame, just foot sore’ or ‘they’re not in pain, their feet are just sensitive’.

Foot soreness doesn’t show up as a limping kind of lameness because there isn’t a non-sore foot to limp onto. Foot soreness is pain in all feet (sometimes it’s more obvious in just the fronts).

Healthy bare hooves are more ‘sensitive’ in terms of having better proprioception and awareness of their feet. It shouldn't mean pain or soreness when walking is normal..

There’s essentially 2 reasons for a horse to be foot sore. One is inflammation in the hoof, the other is poor hoof structure. These 2 things are not mutually exclusive, and don’t forget that inflammation can be the cause weak hoof structure.

What about more serious cases of laminitis where rotation is involved?

The inflammation is responsible for a lot of the pain here too. 

There is some tearing of the internal structures initially, which is undoubtedly very painful, but this initial stage of acute laminitis is fairly short compared to the 9-12 months (or longer) it can take to grow out the damaged hoof.

I would never want to minimise the  pain and stress of the early stages acute laminitis but that is very much a case for your vet and hoof care provider. I would like to talk about the recovery phase, as there’s some important things going on there.

During this recovery period, it’s really easy to see how damaged the hoof is, and assume that is why your horse is sore. But it’s actually inflammation (usually low grade) that’s causing the soreness. 

It’s easy to accept low grade inflammation in a horse recovering from laminitic rotation, as low grade inflammation is a dramatic improvement from acute inflammation but, as discussed above low grade inflammation causes soreness and poor hoof growth ie. It inhibits healing.

It seems ridiculous to say that preventative methods for low grade laminitis can help a horse who’s already had laminitis and is in the recovery stage, but it’s not closing the stable door after the horse has bolted (as it were).

Preventative methods are all about monitoring, reducing and managing systemic inflammation. 

Doing that reduces hoof pain and discomfort and allows the hoof to heal and grow strong healthy structure.

That’s what we need to do to prevent laminitis, it’s also what we need to do to recover from laminitis

With the right management, horses can be comfortable while they’re recovering. Even if their pedal bones have penetrated the sole. 

5. Rarely does it ‘just come out of nowhere’

There are hundreds, possibly thousands of guides, posts, videos, books etc that will tell you the warning signs of laminitis. I even have one myself. I’m not even going to make you look for it. I’ll list the main signs of acute laminitis right here. Everyone should know them

But… These are the signs that a horse is already having an acute laminitic event. If you’re seeing these signs, it’s already happening, and you need to call your vet.

It’s rare for acute laminitis to just happen with no warning though. It can happen, with an unexpected medical issue, or a toxic reaction, but most cases of laminitis slowly creep up, a little like the proverbial frog in boiling water.

Inflammation leaves clues.

There are a number of signs in the horse’s body, movement and hoof health that can tell you if a horse has systemic inflammation. Some of these signs can tell you if inflammation is an immediate problem. Some signs can tell you if inflammation is a longer term problem for your horse.

Being able to monitor these early warning signs is key to keeping your horse laminitis free, and helping their recovery should a laminitic event happen.

Knowing all this about laminitis is one thing but recognising those 35 early warning signs and knowing how to use them to protect your horse is another.

But don’t worry, I created an online course so you can learn how to use these signs to protect your horse.

Why don’t I just list these signs here?

Honestly, I’ve tried that and it didn’t help anyone. In fact it made things worse!

A list of things to look for is just data. Without context it’s difficult to know how to actively use that information. Knowledge is information with understanding. 

I want to help you understand:

I can’t cover all that with 1 article 

If I give you a list I’ll have just given you 35 more reasons to worry.

What I want to do is give you the tools you need so you can effectively monitor and respond to your horse’s needs so you’re less stressed and have more time and energy for fun with your horse

I'm Debs Crosoer

You'll also benefit from:

Just £79

Will This Work For Me?

This course is designed for you if you:

What will I have to do?

I’ve made this as simple as possible for you learn

Here's What You'll Learn In 4 Weeks

Just £79

That's not All! Check out the bonuses

Laminitis Friendly Feeding List - find the best feed for your horse without tearing your hair out.

Supplements That Actually Work - so you don’t waste time and money and go straight for the good stuff.

Ultimate Guide to Soaking Hay - cut through all the conflicting information and find what works for you and your horse.

Therapeutic Pads for Laminitis Recovery - these pads are a miracle for comfort and developing healthy hoof growth

A Simple Technique to Monitor Workload - so you can tell if your exercise is strengthening your horse or causing strain.

Gut Friendly Laminitis Management Plan - manage laminitis in a healthy, species appropriate way, without causing gut problems

Hoof Dissection Module - once you see what’s on the inside it changes the way you view hooves forever. (it’s not too gross, I promise)

Inner Circle Membership

You also get VIP access to the Inner Circle membership when you enroll on this Hoof Geek Academy course.

Twice monthly Zoom meetings. If you’ve got questions about how to apply all your new found knowledge to benefit your horse’s specific needs, this is the place to come and ask, or pop along and learn from other people’s questions.  

Supportive Facebook Group filled with like minded horse people so you can benefit from each others experience, and share your journey.

We even have a motto… Nothing is off topic in the pursuit of hoof health!

Don't Wait! Get Started Now!

Choose how you want to pay...

Legal Stuff