If you're struggling with a laminitic horse, craving for new advice and didn’t attend this year’s Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium, you should be kicking yourself for missing the boat.

Stop kicking. While it still would have been better to attend yourself, we have compiled a few of the presentations here as a learning experience. The 13th annual event in Louisville, Ky., was a “gold mine” when it came to helpful tips and valuable advice.

Farriers, equine veterinarians and researchers presented priceless advice to farriers and equine veterinarians gathered to exchange information, network and swap valuable tips on hoof care in a plethora of conditions.

Four-Point Trim

Dr. Ric Redden of the conference-sponsoring International Equine Podi?atry Center in Versailles, Ky., admits the four-point trim, while controversial, falls into the hands of two very different groups: those that need it and those that do not.

“A normal, healthy foot is constantly undergoing new growth and as a rule remains healthy, provided our influence does not seriously alter the natural repair process,” he says. Redden classifies two separate schools of thought concerning trimming and shoeing concepts.

The first is the goal of sculpting the hoof capsule to a desirable image with a rasp or knife, balancing for soundness and gait.

“The questions I had for myself many years ago,” he says, “as I find-tuned my technique to achieve immediate results was whether it would last. Would the foot continue to heal and have better balance and more mass protection? Would it look the same…