Is your horse at risk? Laminitis is damage and inflammation of the tissue between the hoof and the underlying coffin bone (distal phalanx, P3). This tissue, the laminae (also called lamellae), is actually folded layers of tissue contacting the surface of the bone on one side and the inside of the hoof wall on the other, connecting the two. Depending on how severely these attachments are weakened, the outcome can range from mild foot soreness to separation of the coffin bone and hoof (founder). The front hooves, which bear the majority of the horse’s weight, are most commonly affected, but it can also occur in the hind hooves.

Worsening wildfires in recent seasons have left horses and people breathing polluted air filled with smoke and microscopic debris. These fine particles can settle in the lungs and airways, triggering irritation such as watery eyes, nasal drainage, and respiratory infections like bronchitis. They can also worsen pre-existing conditions like asthma, emphysema, congestive heart failure, and other lung or heart issues.

Is it hot enough for you? If you feel suppressed by repeated days of hot and humid weather, you can be sure that your horse feels worse.

“Event Cancelled. Quarantine in Effect.” No equine event manager or exhibitor wants to hear these words. However, the growing number of equestrian events, increased interprovincial and international equine movement, and the rising concentration of horses at individual events have all heightened the risk of infectious disease outbreaks and transmission.