Laminitis causes severe hoof pain and requires careful, long-term rehabilitation. Appropriate management can restore quality of life for many horses after laminitic episodes.
Chronic laminitis causes ongoing pain that significantly affects quality of life. Horses that appear comfortable on deep shavings in a stable may be in substantial pain when moved onto firmer surfaces. The welfare assessment of chronically laminitic horses must be honest and regular — a horse that is never comfortable enough to move freely or graze may not have adequate quality of life regardless of attached to life interventions. Effective rehabilitation that genuinely restores comfort is the objective; continued management of intractable pain is not indefinitely acceptable.