Chilly January and Winter Laminitis

Winter Laminitis

Understanding Winter Laminitis: A Comprehensive Guide

How is Winter Laminitis Different Than Regular Laminitis? The primary difference lies in the cause. Cold-induced vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels) can reduce blood flow to the hooves, making the tissues more vulnerable to damage. Additionally, the symptoms of winter laminitis may flare up during cold snaps and improve when temperatures warm up, making it distinct in its seasonal nature.

What Do Owners Need to Understand About Winter Laminitis? Horse owners need to recognize that winter laminitis is not simply a seasonal inconvenience but a serious condition that requires attention. Owners should monitor their horses closely during colder months and understand that managing this condition requires proactive care, including dietary adjustments, proper hoof care, and environmental management.

How Do You Prevent Winter Laminitis? Prevention starts with keeping the horse warm. Use Soft Ride boots or Soft Rider Shoes and wraps to maintain circulation in the hooves, especially during extreme cold. Providing access to shelter and ensuring the horse’s core body temperature is maintained can also help reduce vasoconstriction. Regular hoof care and consultation with a farrier or veterinarian are also essential to identify early signs and maintain hoof health.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Winter Laminitis? Symptoms of winter laminitis often include increased sensitivity to cold, reluctance to move, shifting weight between hooves, and standing in a “heel-loading” posture to relieve pressure on the toes. The hooves may feel colder to the touch, and there may be visible discomfort when walking on hard or frozen ground. In severe cases, the horse may show signs of lameness or difficulty standing.

What Are the Recommended Treatments for Winter Laminitis? Treatment focuses on improving circulation to the hooves. Soft Ride boots and deep gel orthotics increase circulation in the hoof as well as provide a barrier between the hoof and frozen ground. Anti-inflammatory medications prescribed by a veterinarian can help reduce pain and inflammation. Adjustments to diet and exercise, under professional guidance, may also aid in recovery. In some cases, therapeutic shoeing in SoftRider Gel Max shoes may be necessary to relieve pressure and support healing. It is crucial to work closely with your veterinarian and farrier to develop a tailored treatment plan.

AVMA research uses Soft Ride Ice Spas to treat laminitis

Yesterday the American Journal of Veterinary Research published a study titled “Distal limb immersion in ice and water is the most effective means of cooling the equine hoof lamellae under clinically relevant conditions”. The goal of the paper was to investigate the effectiveness of various hoof-cooling methods in horses, aiming to identify the most efficient technique under practical conditions. Cooling the hoof's lamellar tissue is essential for managing and preventing laminitis, a painful inflammation of the hoof.

In the study the Soft Ride Ice Spa and a prototype mobile Soft Ride Icing Boot (labelled as HV-IMMERSION in the study) were the most effective treatment tools for cooling lamellae during a critical laminitic episode. When looking at the full paper - Soft Ride products are options D and E in Figure 2. All charts referring to HV-Immersion are in reference to Soft Ride Ice Boots. Looking at figure 4 shows Soft Ride is the hot pink line which cools the hoof most effective and longer than the other methods.

Study Overview

Researchers evaluated four cooling methods:

1. Ice Sleeve (SLEEVE): A sleeve filled with ice that wraps around the lower leg, excluding the hoof.

2. Ice Pack System (ICEPACK): Gel ice packs applied directly to the hoof wall and lower leg.

3. Low-Volume Ice Water Immersion (LV-IMMERSION): Immersing the hoof and part of the lower leg in a boot containing approximately 6 liters of ice and water.

4. High-Volume Ice Water Immersion (HV-IMMERSION): Using a larger boot holding about 10 liters of ice and water to submerge the hoof and lower leg.

Eight healthy horses participated in the study. Initially, temperatures were recorded at the hoof surface (HS), hoof wall (HW), and internal lamellar tissue (LAM) over four hours to establish a relationship between these measurements. This data helped develop a formula to predict internal LAM temperature based on the more easily obtainable HW temperature. Subsequently, horses were allowed to move freely in their stalls while undergoing the cooling treatments for eight hours. During this time, HW temperatures were monitored, and LAM temperatures were estimated using the previously developed formula.

Key Findings

• Effectiveness of Cooling Methods: Both HV-IMMERSION and LV-IMMERSION methods significantly reduced the LAM temperature over the four-hour monitoring period. In contrast, the ICEPACK and SLEEVE methods did not achieve a meaningful decrease in LAM temperature.

• Temperature Reduction Details: In the eight-hour observation with freely moving horses, the estimated LAM temperature decreased by approximately 20.4°C with HV-IMMERSION and 14.9°C with LV-IMMERSION, compared to the control period before cooling. The ICEPACK and SLEEVE methods resulted in minimal temperature reductions of about 2.7°C and 1.8°C, respectively, which were not statistically significant.

Conclusions and Practical Implications

The study concluded that immersing the horse's distal limb (the lower part of the leg, including the hoof) in ice and water is the most effective method for cooling the lamellar tissue under conditions that mimic real-life scenarios. Among the methods tested, the high-volume ice water immersion (HV-IMMERSION) was the most effective, followed by the low-volume immersion (LV-IMMERSION). The ice sleeve and ice pack methods were notably less effective in reducing internal hoof temperatures.

For horse owners and veterinarians, these findings suggest that using ice water immersion techniques, particularly with higher volumes of ice and water, can be a practical and effective approach to manage or prevent laminitis by adequately cooling the hoof's internal structures. This method is especially relevant in clinical settings where maintaining consistent and significant cooling of the hoof is essential for the horse's health and recovery.

Soft Ride on the Road: January Wrap- Up

We’ve had a very busy January attending The Ignite Sports Science Olympic Disciplines Seminars at WEC in Ocala and The TEVA 2025 Veterinary Student Job Fair .

Ignite Sports Science Olympic Disciplines Seminar

TEVA 2025 Student Job Fair

Last weekend we headed over to Texas A & M University for the Student Job Fair. We were able to catch up with a lot of our Texas Vet Clinic clients to see how their year is going and how they’re using Soft Ride products in their practices. We also got to meet 70 Equine Vet Students and hear how the universities they attend utilize Soft Ride both in their teaching and in the university hospitals. It was a great opportunity to get out and see the faces using Soft Ride on their patients in the real world!

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Soft Ride Mission

As we continue our drive to keep your horse on his feet, we've received more than 15 patents, ship to over 50 countries, and work with more than 6,000 veterinarians around the world, as well as every veterinarian school in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. And with horse owners from every discipline using our products, we can safely and proudly say, "The best in the world rely on Soft Ride."