Colic and laminitis, two of the most common equine ailments, can both result from overconsumption of high-carbohydrate concentrates or lush grass. Research has supported this cause-and-effect relationship, but the full story is more complicated.

Laminitis, a serious hoof condition that cripples many horses, can be caused by a number of different things. Ingestion of moldy feed, retained placentas in mares, and colitis or other gastrointestinal tract infections are only a few of the scenarios that can result in inflammation that affects the sensitive tissues within the hooves. The result is pain, swelling, and disrupted circulation, often leading to untreatable tissue damage that eventually causes the horse to be humanely destroyed.

Associate Editor Jeff Cota posted daily updates from the 2014 IHCS to AmericanFarriers.com. See what went on during the four action-packed days of hoof-care learning and networking.

To shoe or not to shoe, that is the question. Answers vary widely, and often without objectivity. Steve Kraus has developed a protocol that tries to shed light on whether a horse should be shod.

Lance Kendrick has been dealing with the art of horseshoeing since 1991. Not the game, but as a horse farrier who shoes horses for a living.

Thousands of equine veterinarians gather in Salt Lake City to learn better practices, including footcare.