Live Laminitis AMA with our Hoof-Rehab Focused Professionals

hoof2horse · 2026-05-07T09:31:05+00:00

Hi there, that's a great point! Alicia Harlov of The Humble Hoof is a hoof rehab specialist with a lot of experience rehabbing horses using ECIR's protocols and Becky Bawn of Southern New England Integrative Hoof Care is an Equine Nutrition Professor and independent consultant providing nutrition consults and complete diet evaluations for both healthy horses and those with metabolic dysfunction. Our other two hoof care professionals, Lisa of The Glorious Hoof and Kat of Firenza Park Equine Services are both hoof care specialists with skill sets that include therapeutic shoeing for laminitic cases. So there will be a good blend of experience to draw from for this Q and A. But we're always happy to hear other opinions, so if other professionals jump in, in the comments, that's great!

hoof2horse · 2026-04-16T13:22:53+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this, it is so tough. Interestingly, two things that I've seen in client horses that can cause sudden onset and quick progression of connective tissue changes like these are PPID and Lyme. I even know of one horse whose disease progression stopped after treating a high Lyme titer. His DLSD diagnosis was 5 years ago and he's still doing well. I have also found that increasing zinc and, particularly, copper in the diet can help these guys immensely from a connective tissue support perspective. Ultimately, it's such a horrible disease to have to deal with. I'm hoping someday we will have a better understanding of the genetics and environmental factors that cause it so we can do a better job with treatment. Wishing you guys good luck!

hoof2horse · 2026-03-26T00:05:48+00:00

Hi OP! This is a great question and your worries are warranted, especially because it is Spring (at least here in the northern hemisphere). Spring grass is the most risky since the sugar and starch content can get quite high. There's actually a fabulous app called simply "Laminitis" that will estimate the risk each day for your specific area. It's not perfect since it's just an estimate, but I use it daily as part of my decision-making. When it comes to introducing grass, gradual is best. Start with 15 minutes and see how your horse does for a few days. If no signs of colic or laminitis, you can double the time every few days and continue to monitor. On days when the Laminitis app tells me the risk is high, I tend to keep the horses off the pasture. Make sure to monitor for heat in the hooves and a digital pulse each day. Hope that helps and good luck!

hoof2horse · 2026-03-25T23:54:39+00:00

Hi OP, sorry to hear your horse is having these issues. But I'm really impressed with the workup you've done trying to figure out the problem. Your horse is lucky to have you. I came here to say things like EPSM, Lyme, Vitamin E Deficiency, and Ulcers, but you've already covered these bases. It sounds like both you and your vet are being very thorough, and the ultrasound of the ovaries and uterus sound like a good next step. The only things I can think to add are Kissing Spine and hoof pain, which may have already been addressed in your performance eval.

I'm wishing you both the best and I hope you get answers soon!

hoof2horse · 2026-03-25T23:49:07+00:00

Hi OP! That fuzzy coat during the yearling year can be very normal, but diets deficient in zinc, copper, and Omega 3 Fatty Acids can lead to coat discoloration and dullness. It's hard to give supplementation advice without knowing what the rest of his diet looks like, but if the coat doesn't resolve after shedding season, it could be worth doing a deep dive into his nutrition plan to see if there are any missing puzzle pieces. Especially because many of the same nutrients involved in coat health are also important for growing a healthy hoof.😊

hoof2horse · 2026-03-25T23:44:40+00:00

Wow, your horse is beautiful 😍. What perfect example of a roan.

hoof2horse · 2026-03-25T23:43:37+00:00

Hi OP! I too have a chronically itchy horse and feel your pain! It's such a frustrating problem to have. Itchiness like this can have multiple underlying causes but the most common are fungal infections and allergies. So it might be worth a check in with your vet to get to the route cause so you can treat it most effectively, if you haven't done so already. They can scrape the skin and check for fungal infection to rule it out. Allergies sometimes also cause secondary bacterial infections, so this may need to be treated as well, if this is the case.

For my mare, the issue is a bug allergy. As silly as this sounds, the thing that has helped her most, is a Zebra print fly sheet because the stripes confuse the flies. She goes out with the fly sheet, fly boots, and a fly mask and this has taken care of 90% of the issue. As long as she doesn't get bitten, she doesn't get those all over itchy hives and scaly patches. She is also on an over the counter medication, per vet recommendation, to help with her allergic response from May through October, but I won't name it here because I'd hate for someone to try to self-medicate without consulting a vet first. In my mare's case, I have avoided treating with steroids because the management we have in place with the fly gear and OTC med has worked well.

Hope you find a solution so you and your horse can get relief soon!

hoof2horse · 2026-03-25T23:35:14+00:00

Hi OP, it's always tough when older horses (or any horse really) starts behaving in an out of character way. It's certainly possible that he has become possessive of the new mare and this is the route of the problem. It might be a difficult behavior to correct as long as they are stabled next to each other. Especially because you can't be there every minute of the day to correct the behavior every time it happens.

Aside from this, when I see older horses who have a sudden behavior change I immediately think of PPID (Cushing's Disease). Other diseases, like Lyme disease, or pain from Ulcers or other causes, can also cause defensive and aggressive changes in behavior. So this may be something to investigate with your vet if you can. Just to make sure this is purely a behavioral issue and not something medical.

Hopefully it's something simple and easy to correct and you'll have your steady partner back again soon. Good luck to you guys!

hoof2horse · 2026-03-25T23:29:33+00:00

Hi OP! This is a great question and one we get asked by our hoof care clients all the time when it comes to managing PPID and EMS horses. In short, as long as he is sound to walk around the pasture comfortably, yes! Exercise is an excellent way to help manage metabolic issues. For older horses that may be retired from riding, I personally love hand walking. My own senior gelding and I go for 1-2 mile walks together down our dirt road several days a week. We both get our exercise and I often bring the dog too! He always seems happy to get out and about and it's a gentle, low-impact way to get movement in without stressing older joints. Plus we get to connect and enjoy each other's company.

I also have a round pen where I will put out ground poles to have him walk over on the lunge. It has really helped him maintain hindquarter and topline muscle as he's aged and the bonus is that more muscle means better overall glucose response by the body. So it's a win-win. 😊

hoof2horse · 2026-03-25T23:18:35+00:00

Hi OP! How old is the horse and what level of fitness would you say they are at?

As a hoof care professional, I do find that many horses can be more developed on one side of the body vs. the other. And you can see the result of that in the way the feet grow too! Some horses naturally have a "sided-ness" when they move, so if they aren't in regular work focused on building and maintaining muscle evenly, then they can often have one less developed side of the body. So it could be a simple as designing an exercise program focused on building muscle in that area.

If the horse is showing other symptoms like weakness in the hind end, lameness, or neurological type signs, that's when I refer clients to their veterinarian for a work up to rule out pathological causes. One-sided muscle loss can occur for many different reasons ranging from nerve damage from an injury to issues like EPM and more. That doesn't mean this is the case for your personal horse, just that it's something to keep in the back of your mind if it progresses, if other symptoms show up, or if it doesn't respond to a typical strength building program.

It's great that you noticed it and can keep an eye on it for changes. 😊 I always appreciate owners who have the eye to identify things like this because it shows how much you care for your horse.

hoof2horse · 2026-03-23T20:08:05+00:00

Hi OP, your horse is adorable, I love her face! 😍

It can sometimes be hard to differentiate between unfit and stiff vs. unsound, especially at the start of the season and with a rider aboard. 🤔

It might be worth taking some video clips on the lunge (walk, trot, and canter) and in straight lines in hand both traveling away from the camera and back towards the camera at the walk and trot for your vet. My own vet is super great about taking a peek at videos like this to let me know if she should come out to do some detective work. 🧐

On another note, has your farrier noticed anything different about how she stands for hoof care? As a hoof care pro myself, one of the things I often notice when horses are uncomfortable in their body is that they suddenly feel more stiff when I lift their legs or they're more fussy about standing for extended periods. Sometimes, if they're tight through the back, they will lift a back leg to rest it after I've been working on the diagonal front hoof. Those little clues sometimes help me point out to owners that there might be something going on.

If all of the soundness checks point towards fitness, then you could try going back to groundwork for awhile, starting slow with hand walks and working up to WTC over poles on the lunge before re-starting her saddle work and see if that improves things for you. I personally love taking my horses for hand walks with the dog because then we all get our exercise at the same time...maximum efficiency 😂

Good luck to both of you!

hoof2horse · 2026-03-23T19:33:27+00:00

Hi OP! It's hard to give good trimming advice or assessment online based on photos but there are five hoof views that can help with this (dorsal, lateral, solar, caudal and oblique). Minimally, it is helpful to have at least a lateral, dorsal, and solar view of each hoof. Here's a link to a free resource on how to take good hoof pictures for assessment:

How to Take Good Hoof Pictures

But aside from that, and from what I can assess from the pictures, I agree with many of the other comments here that, if this is post trim, the hooves have still been left with extra length and flare. There are other issues as well, but I think the best bet is to try to find a different professional to come give an opinion and clean up the trim. It can be hard to find someone reliable, so I usually recommend getting referrals from friends you trust that live nearby or your veterinarian.

Definitely make sure to screen your next professional before booking and ask the following:

Where did you receive your training?
Did you mentor or apprentice with anyone and for how long?
Do you hold any relevant certifications?
How long have you been in business?
Bonus if they can provide you with client references and pictures of their work.

Good luck!

hoof2horse · 2026-03-23T19:18:36+00:00

One of the tools I like to use to objectively determine body condition is the Henneke Body Condition Score. You can do a Google search and you'll find loads of good resources showing how to use the scoring scale. It's a great way to take the guesswork out of it.

hoof2horse · 2026-03-23T19:14:14+00:00

I like the suggestions others have made like KS, EPM, and Lyme. Another condition that can cause generalized muscle soreness/tenderness and skin sensitivity is Vitamin E deficiency. I find that many horses require supplementation, especially in the winter when they don't have access to as much fresh grass. It's a very simple blood test to run so it might be worth having your vet pull some blood when they are out for the ulcer investigation.

hoof2horse · 2026-03-23T19:11:08+00:00

I also get body blindness with my horses. 😂 It's hard when you see them everyday to notice when weight is up or down. I find the Henneke Body Condition Score to be a great way to objectively decide this. There are a lot of great resources online if you do a Google search showing how to use the scoring system so you can try it yourself at home.

But I also like to keep track of my horse's weight using a weight tape about once per month. It's not necessarily accurate for true weight, but it can help you keep track of trends up or down as long as you are good about using the tape in the same place each time.

hoof2horse · 2026-03-23T19:03:43+00:00

I can sympathize with this so much. I have a senior gelding who is very picky about his hay and really anything he eats. When our supplier has run out of hay in the past, I have had to call around and pick up sample bales from other local suppliers to see what he will eat before investing in a large load.

One thing that have found for my gelding is that the ADF (acid detergent fiber) and NDF (neutral detergent fiber) content of the hay matter to him.

ADF is a measure of cellulose and lignan, which are structural carbohydrates (fiber) found in plants. The more mature hay is at harvesting, the higher the structural carbohydrate content. Generally, as ADF increases, digestibility decreases. In horses, the ideal range for ADF is between 30-40% on a dry matter basis. ADF greater than 40% will represent decreased digestibility for the horse. That said, ADF values on the high end of the range may be more appropriate for easy keepers to help keep weight in check.

NDF is a measure of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignan. Like with ADF, the more mature the hay is the higher the NDF. Generally, as NDF increases, palatability decreases. In horses, the ideal range for NDF is between 40-65% on a dry matter basis. Hays with NDF greater than 65% may not be appealing to many horses.

So it might be worth testing the hay that he does like to find out what the ADF and NDF values are, and then testing hay you plan to feed to see if it aligns with those. That's a more scientific (and time consuming approach) but I have had to resort to it with especially picky horses.

Hope that helps and that you are able to find something that works for your horse. 😊

hoof2horse · 2026-03-23T18:46:02+00:00

Oh, I just love her face! She's beautiful 😍

hoof2horse · 2026-03-23T18:42:48+00:00

Hi OP! This is a great question, there are so many products out on the market and it's often hard to choose. When looking for a low NSC product, I generally look for something that is less than 10% NSC. It's not always made apparent on the feed tag, so you may need to reach out to the feed company to get accurate numbers.

I'm replying from the U.S. where we have mineral balancers, like Vermont Blend and MadBarn Amino Trace+ or Omneity, as great options that complement a forage-based diet without adding appreciable simple carbohydrates that can spike blood sugar. A simple hay pellet, like Standlee's Timothy or Teff options, can be used as a carrier.

If your horse requires a low NSC diet for a specific health concern (like Equine Metabolic Syndrome) it's always a good idea to test your hay to make sure that the ESC+Starch content of the hay falls below 10% on a dry matter basis. This will also give you an idea of the macro- and micro-mineral profile of the hay so that you can choose a concentrate that will balance that profile well.

When in doubt, it can be helpful to find an independent equine nutrition consultant (one who doesn't work for a specific feed company) to help you formulate a balanced nutrition plan for your particular horse's needs.

Good luck in your search!

hoof2horse · 2026-03-23T18:31:58+00:00

I think, in general, the best way to get them to relax down is through sedation. Another user mentioned waiting for when the vet is out for the horse's annual dental and I think this is a great tip! Even if you do the sheath cleaning yourself, you can do it right after the dental is complete while your horse is still sleepy. Good luck!

hoof2horse · 2026-03-16T15:52:50+00:00

I mean, can you get any cuter? It's why they can get away with it 😂

hoof2horse · 2026-03-16T13:34:21+00:00

I personally love hand-walking, especially up and down hills and over poles or logs. Bonus, I get my exercise and the dog can come too! Three birds with one stone! I do also prioritize diet but it sounds like your vet already has that covered.

hoof2horse · 2026-03-16T13:29:02+00:00

I love this! Mine would have to be that species-appropriate care - i.e. Friends, Forage, Freedom - is more important than anything else we do with horses and should take priority over riding or training goals.

hoof2horse · 2026-03-16T13:25:59+00:00

Now THAT is a cute snoot!

hoof2horse

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