Laminitis is a painful and debilitating condition in horses, ponies, and donkeys that results from inflammation and damage to the tissue between the hoof and the underlying coffin bone. The failure of the tissues bonding the hoof wall to the pedal bone in the hoof can result in the bone rotating or sinking within the hoof, leading to extreme pain and instability. Laminitis can be caused by a variety of factors, including excessive grain intake, access to pasture high in sugars, compensatory weight bearing due to injury of the opposite limb, ingestion of toxic plants, and excessive work on hard surfaces. It can also occur due to underlying diseases such as equine metabolic syndrome or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.

The clinical signs of laminitis vary depending on the amount of damage to the laminae, but common symptoms include lameness, reluctance to move, unwillingness to rise, shifting weight from one hoof to another, and standing with front feet camped out in front of them and hind feet under their bodies. In severe cases, the coffin bone can penetrate through the sole of the hoof.

Laminitis is irreversible and once a horse has had an episode, they are particularly susceptible to future episodes. Treatment will depend on specific circumstances but may include diagnosing and treating the primary problem, strict stall rest with deep shavings or sand, cold hosing or icing the horse’s feet, and anti-inflammatories such as bute or banamine. Prevention measures include appropriate treatment of underlying diseases, reducing consumption of non-structural carbohydrates found in the pasture, and using frog or frog and sole supports in high-risk animals.