Hoof health is fundamental to horse welfare, as hoof disease and injury cause pain, lameness, and significant welfare compromise that is largely preventable through appropriate management.
Hoof health prevention is substantially more effective than treatment, making daily monitoring and regular professional farriery the foundation of equine welfare in this area. Laminitis represents one of the most painful conditions in horses and in severe cases causes permanent structural changes within the hoof that compromise welfare for the animal's remaining life. The primary risk factors for laminitis, obesity and high-sugar grass consumption, are management-controllable in most cases. Yet equine obesity remains common as owners struggle to restrict the intake of horses and ponies who are highly food-motivated. Thrush and white line disease, caused by anaerobic bacteria in wet or dirty conditions, are preventable through good stable management but require consistent daily attention. The welfare investment in prevention is returned many times over in avoided suffering and treatment costs.