Less Common
You also might be observing
Observation
What you see. The starting point for addressing any equine health related issue is your observation.
YOU ARE OBSERVING
White Line is Poor, Chalky or Black Material, Seedy Toe
Summary
The white line is the laminar layer (the layer of interlocking "velcro") that holds the outer hoof wall to the inner parts of the hoof. You can see a cross-section of the white line visible on the ground surface of the clean horse's hoof, and located between the outside hoof wall and the sole. Genetics, nutrition, environment and management all play a role in the quality and health of the white line.
In horses with normal, healthy hooves, the white line is narrow (about 3-5 mm thick) and does not trap debris. A poor quality white line is often wider, eroded away, or is soft and flakes or crumbles easily with a hoof knife.
Poor white lines are a hallmark of horses with chronic founder (laminitis) and rotation of the coffin bone. It can be seen in horses suffering from chronic malnutrition. The condition of the white line is also related to genetics. White Line Disease is a breakdown of these attachments, a bacterial or fungal infection that is more easily managed if treated early.
In horses with normal, healthy hooves, the white line is narrow (about 3-5 mm thick) and does not trap debris. A poor quality white line is often wider, eroded away, or is soft and flakes or crumbles easily with a hoof knife.
Poor white lines are a hallmark of horses with chronic founder (laminitis) and rotation of the coffin bone. It can be seen in horses suffering from chronic malnutrition. The condition of the white line is also related to genetics. White Line Disease is a breakdown of these attachments, a bacterial or fungal infection that is more easily managed if treated early.
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Code Yellow
Contact Your Vet at Your Convenience for an Appointment
your role
What To Do
Assess your horse's general health using the Whole Horse Exam (WHE), and assess the hoof. Consider whether the horse is showing any sign of lameness. Feel for digital pulse and heat in the feet. Compare one hoof to the other for reference. Share your findings and concerns with your vet.What Not To Do
Do not rely on topical thrush treatments for erosive lesions of the hoof.
Skills you may need
Procedures that you may need to perform on your horse.
your vet's role
Your vet considers this finding with respect to whether or not the horse is lame. Diagnostics and treatment will be more aggressive if the horse is lame. In general, any poor quality "underrun" hoof should be removed.
Questions Your Vet Might Ask:
- Does the horse show any signs of lameness or resistance to move?
- To your knowledge, does the horse have a history of laminitis?
- What is the horse's age, sex, breed and history?
- Has your horse been diagnosed with laminitis?
- Does the horse's general health seem good to you otherwise?
- What treatments have you tried and how did they work?
Diagnostics Your Vet May Perform
Figuring out the cause of the problem. These are tests or procedures used by your vet to determine what’s wrong.
Diagnoses Your Vet May Consider
The cause of the problem. These are conditions or ailments that are the cause of the observations you make.
Treatments Your Vet May Recommend
A way to resolve the condition or diagnosis. Resolving the underlying cause or treating the signs of disease (symptomatic treatment)
Very Common
Less Common