Horse Laminitis Rotation: Farriery and Recovery

Farriery is central to laminitis management with rotation. Understanding the principles of remedial shoeing and trimming helps horse owners work effectively with their farriery and veterinary teams.

Key Facts

The goal of remedial farriery is to reduce tension in the deep digital flexor tendon and support the pedal bone
Heart bar shoes provide frog support that transfers loading away from the damaged laminar zone
Raised heels reduce DDFT tension — temporary wooden blocks or purpose-made shoes can achieve this rapidly
The break-over point of the shoe should be set back to reduce leverage on the toe during the stride
Regular radiographs guide farriery decisions — changes in rotation angle require immediate farriery adjustment
The rotation may improve, stabilise, or worsen over time — farriery must adapt to radiographic changes continuously

Welfare Considerations

Remedial farriery in laminitis is not a single intervention but an ongoing management process that must respond to the dynamic changes in the foot as healing or deterioration occurs. Vets and farriers working together with regular radiographic guidance provide far better outcomes than farriery based on visual assessment alone. Pain assessment throughout must be adequate — a horse that is visibly lame despite farriery intervention requires analgesic review, not just waiting for the shoe to work.

What You Can Do

Ensure your vet and farrier communicate directly and review radiographs together during laminitis management
Schedule farriery reviews every 4-6 weeks minimum during active laminitis management
Provide adequate deep bedding to allow comfortable weight distribution during recovery
Ensure analgesic medication is reviewed at every farriery and veterinary visit
Keep a photographic record of foot changes during recovery to identify trends
Set clear quality-of-life review points to reassess continuing versus palliative management