But why wild horses who are challenged metabolically constantly throughout the year never really suffer so heavy from and never killed by laminitis as domestic horses so often do? We in Academia asked this question long ago. It’s been known for a long time in Academia Liberti that there’s one important precondition for developing laminitis existing — not optimal hoof form that results in mechanical damage to the inner hoof structures.
So, we know, coffin bone rotation with separation (chronic laminitis) is a long time in the making. Though laminitis does not always end up in rotation of the coffin bone with separation of the bone from the hoof capsule. Inflammation may be triggered by a number of things, like feed, chemicals, weather conditions, hormones, mechanical stress. In otherwise healthy hoof with an optimal form, and if a trigger is removed, the inflammation need not cause major damage to the laminar connection. This is what we observe with wild horses. Other pre-existing conditions are necessary for this to happen. In a healthy optimal form hoof the coffin bone is ground parallel or very close to it. In this position force is distributed equally on all parts of the bone and the laminar horn and corium (G.Ramsey and co., “The effect of hoof angle variations on dorsal lamellar load in the equine hoof”, Equine Veterinary Journal, Sept., 2011). However, when the coffin bone is forced to become steeper (higher heels, shoeing) the weight comes down further forward than normal which chronically overstresses the frontal region of the laminae. The steeper the coffin bone, the more the tip is forced downwards and the more the laminae is overstressed. It leads to mechanical damage to the laminae and eventually to separation of the coffin bone from the hoof capsule in the toe region — either through the mechanical levers of quickly growing heels of the gradual indentation of the sole by the pressure of the coffin bone pushing down upon it. A horse may have steep hooves for some time without noticeable problems if it is used on soft ground, or is shoed. For a while the shoe prevents the coffin bone from visible separation from the hoof wall because the solar vault cannot draw flat. But, shoes (as well as contraction, vibration, lack of movement, etc.) reduce blood supply, particularly in the toe region. Poorly nourished corium lamellae are structurally altered even within an outwardly healthy looking hoof, and cannot produce good quality laminar horn. Even without the effects of steep bone alignment, the interlocking of the sensitive and insensitive laminae is compromised. The laminar suspension is more prone to overstressing and less able to maintain the horse’s weight in the hoof capsule. Obviously a steepened bone alignment will speed up this process. As the laminar connection becomes, over time, more and more unstable any inflammatory trigger can tip the horse into full rotation and separation.
Now any metabolic disturbance can trigger laminitis. The presence of a toxin in the poorly nourished and damages laminar corium causes a severe inflammation response. Wound secretion seeps out to mix with horn production, resulting in a horn quality that is too poor to suspend the horse’s weight (especially with unnaturally steep bone alignment) and the corium and horn lamellae separate.
As a further result of sever founder, the connection between the coffin bone and the hoof wall is lost (mostly usually only at the toe area) and the coffin bone sinks down onto the sole where its sharp frontal edge presses onto and damages the solar corium. The least painful part of the foot, and the area where there is usually still a fairly solid connection, is in the lateral and heel regions. The horse shift its width back onto its heels and hind quarters — into the classic founder stance.
In Academia Liberti how to recognize the true causes of hoof pathologies and how to prevent and treat them holistically.
—Natalija Aleksandrova, in cooperation with Academia Liberti
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Academia Liberti International Hoof Care Online Course for horse owners
15 weeks
Starts March 15, 2019
Course content:
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Theory | 8 weeks:
Week 1 Intro. Evolution of Horse in Connection to Hoof Health
Week 2 Correct Living Conditions — a Base for Hoof Health
Week 3 Anatomy of the Foot. Includes homework
Week 4 Hoof Functions. Includes homework
Week 5 Effects of Shoeing. Includes homework
Week 6. Recognizing Hoof Problems and Pain in Horses. Includes homework
Week 7 Physiologically Correct Trim. Includes homework
Week 8 Transition to Barefoot. Includes homework
The materials are available via a personal access to a Facebook Classroom.
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Practice | 8 weeks (starts after completeing week 7 of Theory):
We will be working in a form of personal online assistance — detailed personal how-to-trim instructions using students made photos and videos of their horses. Recognizing pathologies, hoof distortions, health problems connected to hooves.
•••
Further hoof care guidance for 1 year (not included in the course price)
It’s possible to take only the 8 weeks theory part without the practice.
AL Lecturer Natalija Aleksandrova, Dr Strasser’s Student/Certified Lecturer, founder at al Holistic Horse & Hoof Care
(More about Natalija >)
Participants completed the course receive Academia Liberti Hoofcare Course Certificate
For more info & prices and to apply for the course please write us to alhhhc@gmail.com
Academia Liberti online >
Academia Liberti on FB >
