EQUINE PODIATRY SERIES

1—Traditional vs. Balanced Trim—What’s the Difference?

Remaining articles coming soon - check back.

2—Hoof Anatomy, Function and Conformation

3—Laminitis

4—Navicular Disease

5—Ringbone

6—Equine Podiatrists

Equine podiatry (the study and care of the horses foot) is perhaps the single most important aspect of horse healthcare, yet it is probably the least well understood field of care among horse owners. Controversy surrounding hoof care and balance contributes to this lack of understanding. With this series of articles, I hope to provide horse owners with enough knowledge of the facts of anatomy and function of the hoof as well as some of the more common problems encountered to be able to sort through controversy and fads surrounding hoof care. The educated, informed owner will be able to make “sound” decisions about horse hoof care. The first article attempts to answer the question “What is the difference between a balanced and traditional trim?”. The second article covers hoof anatomy, function and conformation, the third and fourth articles cover descriptions of laminitis and navicular disease. The fifth article covers arthritis of the digital joints and the last article describes the field of equine podiatry and the podiatry team.