The legacy of a laminitis fighter: Dr. Agne's brave run in a Saratoga stakes race

News flash: Dr. Agne, an up-and-coming two-year-old racehorse named for the late equine podiatry veterinarian Bob Agne of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, made his second career start on Thursday, August 28 in the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga.

You didn’t have to be a racing fan to want this horse to win at Saratoga today. You just had to hear his story.

Prevent laminitis: Wellness Ready stallside insulin tests accelerate Equine Metabolic Syndrome diagnostics

We all know horse owners who can recite entire pedigrees, race records, or a lifetime of judges' scores. But veterinarians and farriers would prefer that owners have the history of their horses’ insulin test results on the tips of their tongues. 

A new stallside diagnostics tool called Wellness Ready provides real-time equine insulin levels from a simple blood test kit; it is now available to veterinarians around the world. With its growing use for horses of all breeds and ages, laminitis prevention is taking a big stride forward.

The Olympic (Laminitic) Hoof: Dressage horse diagnosed with laminitis before competition begins

A dressage horse representing South Africa has been withdrawn from the Olympics after developing laminitis at the Olympic Equestrian Center outside Tokyo. (Hoofcare.com file photo; this is not the horse described in the article.)

It's been a long road to Tokyo for the world's Olympic equestrian competitors. They've faced Covid lockdowns worldwide, an Equine Herpes Virus outbreak in Europe, Brexit horse transport regulation changes in the United Kingdom, and floods just miles from the quarantine center in Aachen, Germany. 

But for one rider, the challenges are just beginning: Her horse, expected to compete in dressage on Saturday for South Africa, has been diagnosed with laminitis at the equestrian center outside Tokyo.

How can horse owners restrict weight gain, prevent laminitis during time of inactivity and extended turnout?

New research from Great Britain shows that a pasture management system known as strip grazing can help prevent weight gain in horses this spring. Horse owners are advised to heed warnings about weight gain and laminitis risk if quarantine conditions are reducing exercise and increasing turnout time for inactive horses.

Supporting limb laminitis: Dr. Scott Morrison's case review of Kentucky Derby winner Country House

Red roses show up twice a year: on Valentine's Day, and on the first Saturday in May, Kentucky Derby Day.

But this year, those two rose-filled days collided. On February 14, the world learned that 2019 Kentucky Derby winner Country House will not be returning to the races as a four year old, after all. As it turns out, the Derby was his last race.

The Valentine night announcement had a punchline: His owners revealed that the big chestnut son of Lookin at Lucky has been under treatment for supporting limb laminitis by Scott Morrison, DVM, of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, since mid-summer. 

Dr. Morrison kindly agreed to share his insight into the management of this horse's six-month facedown with supporting limb laminitis, a medical complication which, according to laminitis overviews of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, ends in euthanasia for 50 percent or more of horses afflicted. 

So that is where this story begins.

Event announcement: Laminitis researcher Chris Pollitt headlines ESP Laminitis and Podiatry Conference October 11-12 in Pennsylvania

You're invited! Laminitis researcher and author Professor Chris Pollitt of Australia will lead a roster of seven well-known farrier and veterinarian speakers to address practical and research developments to treat and prevent laminitis and advance the success of podiatry in the treatment of hoof disease. The two-day conference, organized by Equine Soundness Professionals (ESP), will be held October 11-12, 2019 in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

This conference is limited to 60 attendees and is designed for ESP members and other professional farriers and veterinarians. For further information about this event, remaining sponsorship opportunities or media inquiries, contact Dave Gilliam at (214) 907-3380 or email dave@equisporthoofcare.com. The conference website is www.laminitispodiatryconference.com.

Video abstract on Equine Metabolic Syndrome in Welsh ponies and Morgan horses wins prize at BEVA Congress

Veterinarians have been upgrading their skills at both communicating information about their research and in making their research more accessible to the public. Laminitis prevention is an area that is in critical need of more outreach. Navigating the literature on laminitis research can be confusing and overwhelming.

At last week's British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress in England, the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) gave an award for video interpretation of equine research. The video abstract they presented is remarkable on two counts: The winning author is an American, and the subject is laminitis prevention and education of horse owners.

Laminitis Prevention Survey Result: Along with weight gain, shoeing cycle and trimming schedule are factors in risk

Although excess weight has long been considered a primary risk factor for laminitis, new research continues to sort through the many risk factors and look for patterns of horsecare or links between the factors themselves, as well as that weight gain is most likely to be associated with laminitis.

A relatively large study, by equine science standards, was conducted in the United Kingdom and gave researchers access to data on more than 1000 horses in "real time" by receiving monthly reports for more than two years from owners about the same horses. The sole purpose of the study was to gather data on laminitis and the horsecare factors that may contribute to it.

Out of 1,070 horses followed in the study, 97 experienced 123 episodes of laminitis over the 29 months the data was collected.

The bottom line conclusion was that weight gain more than doubled the risk of developing laminitis, but other horsecare practices, including hoofcare, should not be ignored.

Dual Surveys Compare Veterinarian and Horse Owner Priorities for Equine Research

Colic (gastrointestinal diseases) is considered by both equine veterinarians and horse owners as the most important equine health care problem in need of more answers, according to the results of parallel research surveys conducted by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation and the American Horse Council (AHC) Foundation.

ESP 1.0 Event: First Equine Soundness Professionals seminar details for March 16 in Florida

Veterinarians and farriers have a chance to be part of history on Saturday, March 16 when the new Equine Soundness Professionals ("ESP") organization hosts its first open seminar in Wellington, Florida. Advance registration is required to attend.

Possible environmental chemical link found to equine metabolic syndrome and related laminitis in Welsh ponies and Morgan horses

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in a horse’s environment may play a role in the development of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), a leading cause of laminitis. This finding, made by Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers at The University of Minnesota, could explain some of the variability in EMS severity that can’t be explained by other commonly measured factors, such as diet, exercise and season.

Laminitis Research Videos: Advances in endocrinopathic laminitis diagnosis, treatment and science

Last week,  31 laminitis research articles, collected from recent editions of the prestigious Equine Veterinary Journal, were made freely available to the public. All 31 articles may be read and downloaded without charge for the next year.

What could make this better? A summary--or three of them, in fact. Today we offer an overview of the research, in the form of three short, concise videos by three of the authors. Each provides an overview of the articles in his or her area of research.

Laminitis Research: Is IGF-1 the missing link between insulin and laminitis in the horse's foot?

Veterinary researchers in Australia have identified a possible mechanistic link in the horse's foot that may explain how high levels of the hormone insulin cause equine laminitis.

Laminitis Prevention: British Veterinarians Issue Alert to Prevent Spring Laminitis in Obese Horses

Links between equine obesity and laminitis are well documented, but veterinarians still report an increase in obesity; latest estimates are that as many as fifty percent of all horses in the United Kingdom may be overweight and at risk for related health problems. Today the British Equine Veterinary Association issued an official warning to owners that is valid all over the world. 

Laminitis Survey Results: Do horse owners value science-based advice? Do they use it?

Equine research is fascinating, much-needed, and worthy of support. But are equine research findings being integrated into the care, feeding, and hoofcare of average horses? A survey in Great Britain set out to see if horse owners were applying research-based practices in their stable routines, using laminitis prevention as an example.

Palatable pergolide paste for PPID: BEVA award for Rendle presentation on clinical research into new treatment option for "equine cushings disease"

Many ponies and horses suffer from pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), known in the past as equine cushings disease.  Among the common clinical signs of the endocrine-related condition, seen commonly in older (but not exclusively older) animals are long, non-shedding coats and chronic laminitis. PPID can, in most cases, be successfully managed by the medication pergolide mesylate, which is currently only FDA-approved in a poorly palatable tablet. A recent presentation on an alternative form of the medication has been recognized with a prize from the British Equine Veterinary Association.

Research into what may one day be a significant advance in options for the treatment of horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), once known as equine cushings disease, has received an award in the United Kingdom.

Research overview: Preventing laminitis by studying insulin dynamics in older horses

Laminitis research comes in many forms. Recently, the emphasis has been on understanding the cause of the disease, and developing ways to prevent horses from ever knowing laminitic pain. The emphasis is on understanding how horse management and feeding can effect hormonal balances in older horses, and what recommendations might help horses live longer and healthier lives.

Laminitis research: Even healthy older horses have increased insulin responses

New research, conducted in collaboration with the SPILLERS® horse feed company in Great Britain shows that even healthy older horses have increased insulin responses, compared to younger horses, in response to a starch-rich or starch- and sugar-rich meal.

Laminitis researcher investigates horse owners’ knowledge of disease and how it affects horse care decisions

A new laminitis research study, supported by the equine feed manufacturer SPILLERS®, in collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in England, aims to shed light on British horse owners’ understanding of laminitis and whether or how that knowledge may influence horse management practices in Great Britain.

American Farrier's Association Funds Equine Stem Cell Research

Today the American Farrier’s Association (AFA) announced a donation of $10,000 through its Equine Research Fund to the Morris Animal Foundation in support of research being conducted by Morris Animal Foundation Fellow Dr. Alix Berglund at North Carolina State University.