Recognizing the Early Signs of Laminitis in Horses

Many horses have mild signs of laminitis before they become lame, particularly at-risk horses such as seniors, ponies, and equids with insulin dysregulation.

While any horse can develop the hoof disease laminitis, certain types of horses are at higher risk, including older horses, ones with insulin dysregulation, and ponies. Edd Knowles, MA, PhD, VetMB, MVetMed, Dipl. ECEIM, MRCVS, director of science and nutrition with Mars Horsecare, described early warning signs owners can watch for in their horses.

“A lot of these horses will have mild signs of laminitis before they get a full-on attack,” he explained. “So we have to get used to learning to spot those. In particular, we need to be careful with horses that aren’t doing a lot of work because we may miss the early signs of lameness.”

Things he said owners can look for include horses that are foot-sore, especially after being shod or trimmed. They can look for signs of divergent hoof growth, where the growth rings on the side of the hoof are wider at the heel than at the toe.

Knowles also urged owners to talk to their farriers, who can pick up on early signs of tearing and bruising indicative of mild laminitis.

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Alexandra Beckstett

Alexandra Beckstett is a lifelong horse owner and an award-winning writer and editor. She is the editorial director of EquiManagement and MyNewHorse.com, prior to which she spent 13 years with The Horse/TheHorse.com.

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