As the seasons change, laminitis tends to spring to mind. Understanding the signs and causative mechanisms help the farrier and veterinarian manage the external and internal symptoms and set the horse on a path to soundness.

It wasn’t that long ago that a diagnosis of Cushing’s disease — Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) — was felt to mean the horse had less than 5 years to live.

As summer gives way to fall, the diets of your clients’ horses change with the seasons. Hoof quality often transitions with it. Once winter arrives in cold climates, protecting the foot becomes increasingly challenging. Horses are often turned out in snow and mud where their hooves absorb moisture. Those with poor hoof quality become a playground for opportunistic bacteria. Improving the nutrition of a horse with compromised horn can play a part in preventing problems heading into the winter months.