Horse Laminitis Laminitis is another very common hoof problem that horses There are two forms of Laminitis, chronic and acute. If your horse has an acute case of Laminitis you’ll notice that your horse is standing with the front legs splayed out in front of it and the back legs tucked under in an attempt to take all the weight off the front legs or you might see the horse shifting its weight frequently. You also could see some swelling around the coronet band and the horse may have a temperature if there is a secondary infection. Laminitis almost always occurs in the front hooves so if your horse is trying to get weight off the front hooves then you need to check for Laminitis immediately. If your horse has acute Laminitis you’ll also feel heat from the hoof if you touch it and your horse will probably be very reluctant to lift its front hooves off the ground. If your horse has chronic Laminitis you’ll see the same symptoms that you’d see in a case of acute Laminitis but the symptoms won’t be as pronounced and you might miss them. That’s why checking your horse’s hooves every time you groom or ride is so important. If you’re cleaning and handling the horse’s feet regularly you’ll notice if something is wrong. Sometimes, in an acute case of Laminitis you can see white rings around the outer edge of the hoof. If your horse develops a case of acute Laminitis that doesn’t heal all the way then your horse is more likely to develop chronic Laminitis over time. If your horse does develop Laminitis it’s very important that you allow the horse to fully heal before getting the horse back into a normal exercise and turnout schedule so that the horse doesn’t develop chronic Laminitis.
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