Horse breeding from planning through foal care

Prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot

Proper feeding practices for foals, adult horses, and older horses

Discussions about the welfare of our equine friends

Horse-heath-problem risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment

How to care for the basic health needs of horses

All aspects of caring for performance horses

Design and maintain a healthy horse operation

Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of leg lameness

News and issues for equine health professionals

Cover Story

The Many Faces of Equine Metabolic Syndrome

Unveiling what EMD and ID really look like.

Also in this Issue

Post-Foaling Red Flags
HERDA 20 Years Later
Strangles: An Old Disease in a Modern World
Before She Foals: Managing Broodmares
Beneath the Hoof Wall: Soft Tissues Injuries of the Equine Foot

Latest Q&A

Feeding Horses That Have Dry Skin

April 12, 2024

Q&As

Equine Behavior

Our animal behavior experts field your questions about why your horse does XYZ.

Horse Nutrition

Equine nutritionists respond to queries about forage, grain, supplements, and other related topics.

Performance Horse Health

Veterinarians and researchers tackle questions about equine athletes.

Featured Podcasts

Can PPID or EMS Affect My Horse’s Joints?

Methodologies for Assessing Horses' Quality of Life Needed

When Should I Retire My Horse From Riding?

Podcasts

Ask 'TheHorse' Live

The Horse’s experts answer your questions during a monthly live audio event.

Equine Innovators

Join us as we interview leading equine researchers from the University of Kentucky.

Fact Sheet: Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)

Fact Sheet: Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) in Horses

Free Reports:

View All Free Reports

Quick referenced of horse conditions, diseases and health topics

Forms

Checklists and identification forms for horse owners

Readers Vote: Top Hoof Issues

January 28, 2007
Posted by Nancy S. Loving, DVM

A poll of readers showed laminitis, navicular disease, and barefoot vs. shod were their top issues involving horse feet.

When horse owners wer

Topics: Article, Laminitis (Founder), Navicular Problems, Shoeing

Favorite

No account yet? Register

A poll of readers showed laminitis, navicular disease, and barefoot vs. shod were their top issues involving horse feet.

When horse owners were asked in a poll on TheHorse.com, “What do you think are the top problems relating to the health of a horse’s foot,” we received answers that might surprise you.

Of nearly 1,500 respondents, more than half feel that laminitis is the No. 1 health problem for horse hooves. Considerable press has been devoted recently to this condition, partly due to its role in the loss of champion Thoroughbred Barbaro, but also because it has the potential to be a major obstacle for any horse

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Written by:

Nancy S. Loving, DVM

Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colorado, and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care. She has also authored the books Go the Distance as a resource for endurance horse owners, Conformation and Performance, and First Aid for Horse and Rider in addition to many veterinary articles for both horse owner and professional audiences.