A 2-year prospective survey examined  the rate of euthanasia and factors associated with euthanasia among 1,070 horses and ponies in Great Britain. This analysis was part of a larger study of laminitis that enrolled owners of healthy animals who  responded via a web-based survey. Most respondents owned one to three animals for an average of about 7 years. Native pony breeds were most common and while most owners (60%) reported their animals were in ideal body condition, a third of the animals enrolled had a previous history of laminitis.

Joint Injections and Laminitis, Blood Test for Laminitis Pain, Human Medicine to Treat Navicular, Colic and Your Barometer

Horseshoes and Heel Contraction Although there is little hard evidence to support the belief, horseshoes have long been implicated as a cause of contracted heels in horses. For this reason, researchers in Poland conducted a cross-sectional survey measuring the frogs of 114 horses in 22 stables and compared the results between shod and unshod horses.

Hoof Loading During Laminitis A study by researchers from the Veterinary Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University in Giessen, Germany, examined hoof loading in laminitic horses compared with normal controls. Fifty-four horses were divided into three groups:

Swiss researchers surveyed 133 Icelandic competition horses at four international horse shows to assess the relationships between hoof size, shape and balance, and the occurrence of hoof pathology and athletic performance. Measurements and radiographs of the left front and hind hooves were taken at the competitions with additional measurements made from the radiographs at a later date.

Led by a scientist at Michigan State University, a team of researchers evaluated the effects of a dietary supplement containing resveratrol and the amino acid leucine on insulin dysregulation in horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Fifteen horses with naturally occurring EMS were treated for 6 weeks with weight, body condition and several metabolic factors, including insulin levels, measured following an oral sugar test both before and after treatment with the supplement.

Researchers in Great Britain used a web-based questionnaire in a prospective study designed to investigate factors associated with the occurrence of laminitis. Over a 2-year period, almost 7,000 questionnaires were obtained from owners reporting on 123 episodes of laminitis in about 1,100 horses and ponies. Most (93) of the animals only had one incident of laminitis while 19 animals has multiple episodes.

Creating Lameness for Inflammation Study Heart-bar shoes that incorporate an adjustable pressure screw are used as a reversible model of hoof pain for experimental studies of anti-inflammatory medications. In this trial, researchers applied heart-bar shoes to five mares.

Novel Laminitis Treatment An experimental trial in Canada examined the effects of placing a bone screw through the dorsal hoof wall into the coffin bone as a way to stabilize the bone and prevent the rotation associated with laminitis. The pullout strength of the lag screw technique was first tested in cadaver specimens.

Incidence of Laminitis in Great Britain Population survey studies of laminitis are rarely reported in the literature compared to papers that investigate the underlying pathology of the diseases and how to treat it.