Vet-first hoof guide
Laminitis is an urgent, painful failure of the tissues that support the coffin bone inside the hoof. Early clues can include a stronger digital pulse, unusual hoof heat, shifting weight, a rocked-back stance, short careful steps, and reluctance to turn or move.
Do not wait for every classic sign. Laminitis can begin subtly, and not every horse assumes the textbook stance.
Short answer: A horse with sudden foot soreness, a stronger-than-normal digital pulse, warmth in one or more feet, weight shifting, or reluctance to turn deserves prompt veterinary attention. Those signs can have several causes, but laminitis must be ruled out quickly.
Longer-term clues may include recurring soreness, abnormal growth rings, a changed hoof shape, white-line separation, or repeated abscesses. These findings are not a home diagnosis. They are reasons to involve the veterinarian and farrier.
Spring pasture is not dangerous to every horse, but rapidly growing grass can carry more nonstructural carbohydrates. Susceptible horses can have a higher risk of pasture-associated laminitis, including easy keepers, ponies, overweight horses, horses with insulin dysregulation or equine metabolic syndrome, horses with PPID, and horses that have foundered before.
There is no universally safe grazing schedule for every at-risk horse. Ask your veterinarian or equine nutritionist for an individual plan. Grazing muzzles, dry lots, tested forage, weight management, and carefully controlled turnout may be part of that plan.
Learn your horse's normal baseline before a problem starts. Feel gently along either side of the back of the pastern or fetlock where the digital arteries run. Compare both sides and all four feet. A pulse that suddenly feels stronger than normal matters most when it appears with heat, soreness, or a change in movement.
Use the complete horse digital-pulse guide for landmark and comparison instructions.
The terms are often used together. Laminitis describes damage and failure within the laminar tissues. Founder commonly refers to cases in which the coffin bone has displaced, although everyday usage varies.
Yes. Signs vary, especially early. Reluctance to turn, a stronger digital pulse, hoof heat, or subtle short steps may appear before a dramatic stance.
No. Laminitis requires veterinary diagnosis and a coordinated veterinary and farrier plan. A topical product is not a substitute.
No. Do not force movement or exercise a horse with suspected laminitis. Follow your veterinarian's instructions.
Updated August 15, 2026. Educational information only. Suspected laminitis requires prompt veterinary care.
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