Foot Type and Laminitis Incidence in Feral Horses

Contrary to popular belief, feral horses are not exempt from developing laminitis.
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Horses that roam free in the wild, be they American mustangs, Australian brumbies, or horses from other feral herds, differ from their domestic counterparts in that they receive no food, water, veterinary care, or hoof care from humans. To determine what effect feral horses’ natural environments have on hoof type and predisposition toward developing laminitis, Brian Hampson, PhD, of the Australian Brumby Research Unit at the University of Queensland’s School of Veterinary Science, tracked brumbies and evaluated their feet visually and radiographically (via X ray). He presented his findings at the 6th International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot, held Oct. 28-31 in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Hoof from Sandy Desert

This horse frequented sandy deserts…

Hoof from Rocky Desert

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Alexandra Beckstett, a native of Houston, Texas, is a lifelong horse owner who has shown successfully on the national hunter/jumper circuit and dabbled in hunter breeding. After graduating from Duke University, she joined Blood-Horse Publications as assistant editor of its book division, Eclipse Press, before joining The Horse. She was the managing editor of The Horse for nearly 14 years and is now editorial director of EquiManagement and My New Horse, sister publications of The Horse.

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