Spring laminitis case videos: What’s new for prevention and hoof management?

It's spring, that annual stock-taking time when horse owners should be taking serious care of their horses' feet and examining them for signs of changes brought on by the shift of seasons and feeding as brown grass turns green. It's time for owners to talk to vets and farriers about their horses' overall condition and to look at age and lifestyle factors that might be increasing a horse's

The Real Deal: Laminitic Pony in Australia First Horse in History to Wear 3D Printed Titanium Horseshoes

A pony with chronic laminitis in Australia is wearing the world's first horseshoes that are "printed", not forged or cast or turned. The shoes are made of titanium and were created in a laboratory setting by the government agency CSIRO.

The Hoof Blog promised a follow-up on that viral story back in October about 3D printing of titanium horseshoes in Australia. We promised that when we could

Video: Farrier and Saddlery Skills in Cambodia Shared by FEI and World Horse Welfare Partnership Professionals

Get a new appreciation of the urban and rural horse culture of Cambodia in this short video profiling the recent programs of World Horse Welfare and the FEI Solidarity programs. Farrier Tom Burch and saddler Mark Fisher made the journey to Southeast Asia to help both the poor working ponies and the elite sport horses of the country's expanding equestrian sports scene.

Tom was the longtime

Research Update: Hoof Wall Separation Syndrome in Connemara Ponies

A slide show of affected hooves from around the world; these hooves are all on Connemara ponies, although it is not known if this particular type of wall separation is limited to that breed.


Few hoof problems have been as compelling as the relatively-recent one known around the hoof world as "Connemara hoof wall separation syndrome". Owners of the affected horses would prefer that it be

FEI Grant Funds World Horse Welfare's Cambodian Farrier Education

British farrier Tom Burch (far left, kneeling)


With the Olympics looming on the calendar, the FEI is prominent in the news. But today's story is not about dressage star Totilas or Kiwi eventers or even showjumpers in Rome. The FEI is entering the international horse welfare arena with a farrier education project.



World Horse Welfare (WHW) reports that the organization will be working in

Amputation and Prosthetics: Molly the Pony Leads a Parade of Animal Amputees Showing Off Their Artificial Limbs

Here's an old friend: Molly the Pony sent this blog into global "gone viral" paralysis in 2008 when we announced that a children's book had been written about the three-legged Hurricane Katrina survivor. Now she's a global celebrity, and in this little video, she leads a parade of proud prosthesis-wearing animal pals--and rightly so!

This video enhances a spectacular

Grazing Muzzles Reduce Pasture Consumption by 80 Percent in Grazing Ponies, According to New Study

"It's not funny!" this horse seems to be saying and there's no question that most horses are less than amused at the prospect of wearing muzzles. Would it be different if all the horses in the pasture had to wear them? This expressive photo is by the talented animal photographer Judith Whelan.

New research, presented at the Equine Science Society (ESS) Symposium in Nashville, Tennessee last

Laminitis Prevention Research: Ponies Adapt to Grazing Time Reduction by Eating More in Less Time

Recent laminitis prevention research soon to be presented at a biannual nutrition meeting in the United States suggests that ponies given reduced access to pasture are capable of ingesting considerable amounts of herbage during the time they are turned out and may indeed increase their intake during this time as they become accustomed to the routine.

Intake of large amounts of fructan and other