Equine
Laminitis: Part 1 – Causes, clinical signs and how to diagnose laminitis
By Lauren Lamb, DVM
Laminitis is a common disease seen in horses of all ages. It is a severe, debilitating and painful disease that affects the horse’s feet. Laminitis is commonly seen in the front feet, but can be seen in the back feet or in worst cases scenarios all four feet. Before we get too far in our discussion of laminitis, let’s go back and review the anatomy of the horse’s foot and how this anatomy is related to laminitis. Lamina are tiny (millimeters in thickness) finger-like projections that attach the coffin bone to the hoof wall. There are two sets of lamina.
The sensitive lamina are attached to the coffin bone and extend out to the hoof wall. The non-sensitive lamina are attached to the inside of the hoof wall and extend out to the coffin bone. The sensitive and non-sensitive lamina interdigitate with each other, attaching the hoof wall to the coffin bone. This attachment supports the horse’s weight. The sensitive lamina can have a significant amount of blood flow but no blood flow in the non-sensitive lamina.
Another anatomical structure that needs to be discussed is the deep digital flexor tendon. The deep digital flexor tendon attaches to the back/bottom of the coffin bone and is responsible for flexion of the coffin, pastern, fetlock and knee joints. The deep digital flexor tendon pulls on the back of the coffin bone and places pressure on the lamina on the front of the foot. Normal healthy lamina resist the pressure placed on them by the deep digital flexor tendon.
The term laminitis literally means inflammation of the lamina. The sensitive lamina can become severely inflamed. The cause of this inflammation can be secondary to several different factors, which we will discuss later. The inflammation will weaken or kill the sensitive and non-sensitive lamina, which can result in the coffin bone rotating or sinking in the hoof capsule.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2017 NTFR issue.
By Phillip Kitts
The mystique and imagined glory of the rodeo road call many young people’s names. As they grow up, they watch the greats of the sport run from rodeo to rodeo and occasionally land on the television giving the perception of the rockstar lifestyle.
No, the glory of the rodeo road is not as grand as, say, the National Football League or the National Basketball Association, but being an athlete competing in front of the yellow chutes of Vegas is just as big a deal, and in every way, can be compared to competing in a Super Bowl.
However, things sure are different in the rodeo world. Let us take a minute and talk about what seem to be simple things in life that impact rodeo and rodeo athletes that in no way would make a difference to the big-money sports.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Garrett Metcalf, DVM
It is common for horse owners to have a horse with a wound or laceration at some point in their life. Sometimes small lacerations can be perceived as benign, inconsequential problems that do not need immediate veterinary attention and are managed by the owners or trainers initially. Unfortunately, these simple-looking wounds can involve very important anatomical structures that can lead to serious infections that can be life-threatening or, at best career-limiting, for the horse.
Large wounds tend to get all the attention from owners or trainers because when they occur they are so obvious and visually appalling that medical attention is sought almost immediately. Those types of large wounds can be devastating, but they often involve the upper body regions of the horse, which heal better and often don’t involve structures such as joints or tendons.
To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Phillip Kitts
Have you ever wondered what the rodeo looks like for contract personnel in the winter?
This month we will look at what the winter months look like from the rodeo photographer’s perspective.
To understand the time and demands that go into a career as a rodeo photographer, let’s start at when the season gets busy. Not all rodeo photographers work the same. There are many varieties in their career field. They can vary from the few weekends here and there to the full-timer who travels more than 30 weekends a year.
The full-timer that spends most of their year working usually hits the road in late winter. Yes, the winter months are slower but the photographer who has cemented themselves into the field usually books a few during late winter.
Rolling into the spring it begins to get busy. Depending on the photographer, spring can start with an every other weekend type schedule all the way to every weekend through the summer. In 2023 there were photographers that had 20-plus weeks straight going from rodeo to rodeo.
When late fall rolls in things begin to slow down, even for the go-getter who books everything they can.
To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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