This is a classic case of a horse affected by laminitis and neglected.

In a laminitic foot the hoof grows more toe and less heal this is obvious in the pictures below. It can get to the point where the toe starts to curl upwards, as seen in the pictures below. A Simple trim, monthly and a bi-monthly x ray can do wonders for the comfortability of the horse and the regrowth of the new hoof in the right angle (this is addressed in another post “laminitis”).

To me this horse is on the verge of “Cruelty to Animals”. I have communicated to the owners that the animal society will have to intervene if the horse will not be given the right care for this condition, starting with a Ferrier call.

Obviously the horse is unable to walk, has a typical laminitis stance (puts more weight on the hind limbs) and moves as if walking on eggshells in the front end.

In addition to all his orthopedic problems the horse has a crusty neck (sorry for not having the pictures on hand, next time, I promise).  A crusty neck means that there is a lot of access fat deposited above the mane. This is an indication for Cushing’s disease and Hypothyroidism screenings. Both of these diseases are common in certain breeds at certain ages (this will not be addressed here but in another “hormonal imbalances in the horse” post) and which puts them at great risk for LAMINITIS. These need to be addressed before an acute laminitic attack (see previous post).

If anyone has a picture of a “crusty neck” it will be very helpful for the full story about this laminitic/hormonal imbalances horse.