Renowned researchers James K. Belknap and Raymond J. Goer are the editors for the book Equine Laminitis, released in January 2017 by Wiley Publishing. This 472-page book is necessary for all equine practitioners, specifically all farriers, as well as equine veterinarians.

The book opens with a basic overview of research and care in Part 1. This first chapter provides a brief summary of the history of laminitis. This is followed by an overview of laminitis, a description and discussion on lamellar physiology and equine hoof/digit anatomy and biomechanics. The anatomical pictures from Dr. Andrew Parks and the Glass Horse do an excellent job of showing gross anatomy, while the histological slides show the microscopic anatomy in amazing detail.

Part 2 covers the current concepts in the pathophysiology of laminitis. It covers inflammatory and sepsis-related models along with various endocrinopathies and ischemic phenomena. This section goes into detail to discuss the role of insulin dysregulation, metabolic and endocrine dysregulation, the role of corticosteroids and eventually the dynamics of distal phalanx displacement. This section may seem overwhelming to readers at first, as it is quite lengthy because of the detail. Authored by many of the leading laminitis researchers in the world, it clearly demonstrates the amount of effort placed on working toward an understanding laminitis, how it occurs, and specifically what occurs at specific times.

Part 3 is much shorter and concisely summarizes the clinical presentation of equine laminitis and its various forms. It discusses the obese/hyperinsulinemic cases, along with the…