Laminitis & Corrective Shoeing: How the Right Farrier Can Save Your Horse.

If you've ever watched a horse struggle to walk — shifting its weight back on its heels, standing in a painful, leaning posture, refusing to move — there's a good chance you were looking at a horse suffering from laminitis. It's one of the most feared diagnoses in equine health, and for good reason. Left untreated or managed by the wrong hands, laminitis can become permanently debilitating or even fatal.

But here's what many horse owners don't realize: the right farrier, using the right corrective shoeing techniques, can dramatically change a laminitic horse's outcome. In many cases, horses that owners feared would never be comfortable again go on to live sound, productive lives — because someone with deep expertise stepped in at the right time.

This is exactly the kind of complex, high-stakes care that Lance Kendrick Horseshoeing has been delivering across Northern Indiana since 1991.

What Is Laminitis? Understanding the Condition

Laminitis is the inflammation of the sensitive laminae — the tissue structures inside the hoof that bond the coffin bone (pedal bone) to the hoof wall. When these laminae become inflamed and weakened, the coffin bone can begin to rotate or sink downward inside the hoof capsule. This is known as founder, and it represents the most severe progression of laminitis.

Common Causes of Laminitis Include:

• Dietary overload — too much sugar or starch from lush pasture grass or grain overfeeding
• Metabolic conditions — Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and Cushing's disease (PPID) are major risk factors
• Concussive laminitis — from working horses hard on very hard surfaces, especially if unfit
• Supporting limb laminitis — when a horse overloads one leg due to injury in another
• Systemic illness — colic, retained placenta, or severe infections can trigger laminitis as a secondary condition

Regardless of cause, the result is the same: intense pain, altered movement, and structural damage to the hoof that requires immediate veterinary attention AND expert farrier intervention working together.

Why a Farrier Is Critical to Laminitis Treatment

Many horse owners focus entirely on the veterinary side of laminitis treatment — and veterinary care is absolutely essential. But what often determines whether a horse truly recovers is the farrier's role in the process.

Here's why: once the coffin bone begins to rotate or sink, the mechanical forces acting on the hoof must be corrected to stop further damage and give the laminae a chance to heal. This is where corrective horseshoeing and equine podiatry become life-changing tools.

A qualified therapeutic farrier can:

• Reduce breakover — shortening or rolling the toe so the horse doesn't have to lever the hoof up during each step, which strains the already damaged laminae
• Elevate the heels — temporarily raising heel height to relieve tension on the deep digital flexor tendon, which pulls on the coffin bone
• Add padding and support — using frog support pads, heart bar shoes, or foam padding to redistribute weight away from the toe and onto the more stable frog and heel structures
• Monitor and adjust regularly — laminitis treatment is not a one-visit fix. A skilled farrier tracks changes in hoof angle, monitors sole depth via x-ray collaboration with the vet, and adjusts the shoeing plan at every appointment

This level of precision requires not just basic farriery skills — it requires years of experience with therapeutic cases, a deep understanding of equine anatomy, and close collaboration with the horse's veterinarian.

What Is Corrective Horseshoeing for Laminitis?

Corrective horseshoeing for laminitic horses is a tailored approach to shoeing that prioritizes pain relief, structural support, and long-term healing over cosmetic appearance or standard shoeing conventions.

Depending on the horse's x-rays, conformation, and severity of rotation or sinking, a therapeutic farrier might use:

1. Heart Bar Shoes

These specialized shoes extend a bar across the frog area, providing direct support to the frog and helping to stabilize the coffin bone. They're one of the most commonly used corrective tools in laminitis cases.

2. Rocker or Rolled Toe Shoes

By reducing the leverage at the toe during breakover, rocker toe shoes significantly decrease the strain on inflamed laminae with every step the horse takes.

3. Wedge Pads and Heel Elevation

Raising the heel temporarily reduces tension on the deep digital flexor tendon, which in turn reduces the rotational force pulling the coffin bone downward.

4. Full Sole Support Pads

In acute cases, full pads distribute weight across the entire sole rather than concentrating it at the toe — the most painful area in a rotated hoof.

5. Glue-On Shoes

In horses with extremely thin or compromised hoof walls where nailing is not possible, glue-on shoes allow corrective shoeing without additional trauma to the hoof wall.

No single approach is right for every horse. The best outcomes come from a farrier who can read x-rays, communicate directly with the treating veterinarian, and customize every shoeing decision to that individual horse's anatomy and stage of recovery.

The Importance of Farrier-Vet Collaboration

One of the most important things you can do for a laminitic horse is ensure your farrier and veterinarian are working as a team.

Your vet establishes the diagnosis, orders x-rays to measure coffin bone rotation, manages pain and metabolic factors, and monitors overall health. Your farrier uses those x-rays to guide every trimming and shoeing decision — understanding exactly how far the bone has rotated and how much sole depth remains between the bone and the ground.

When this collaboration breaks down — when farrier and vet aren't communicating — horses suffer unnecessarily and recoveries take far longer than they should.

At Lance Kendrick Horseshoeing, working alongside veterinarians on complex therapeutic cases has been a cornerstone of the practice for over three decades. Lance Kendrick's reputation as a trusted resource for vets throughout Northern Indiana is built on exactly this kind of collaborative, detail-oriented approach to care.

Can a Laminitic Horse Ever Be Sound Again?

This is the question every horse owner asks when they receive the diagnosis. The honest answer: it depends — on the severity of the rotation, how quickly treatment began, the quality of ongoing farrier care, and the horse's underlying health management.

Horses with mild to moderate laminitis that receive prompt, professional farrier intervention alongside proper dietary management and veterinary care frequently return to full or partial work. Some competitive horses have come back to active careers after laminitis episodes with the right corrective shoeing program.

Severe rotation, especially cases where the coffin bone has penetrated or nearly penetrated the sole, carry a much more guarded prognosis. But even in these cases, skilled therapeutic shoeing can dramatically improve comfort and quality of life.

The one thing that makes the most consistent difference across all severity levels? The experience and expertise of the farrier managing the case.

Why Northern Indiana Horse Owners Trust Lance Kendrick

When it comes to laminitis and corrective horseshoeing, experience isn't just a credential — it's everything. The difference between a farrier who has managed dozens of laminitis cases and one who has managed hundreds is enormous, and your horse's soundness depends on that difference.

Lance Kendrick has been serving horse owners throughout Northern Indiana since 1991 — over three decades of hands-on experience with performance horses, chronic lameness cases, and the full spectrum of therapeutic and corrective shoeing challenges. He has earned numerous awards and professional accreditations for his craftsmanship and is recognized as a leading farrier in the region.

Dustin Kendrick, who joined the practice in 2007, brings his own award-winning expertise and a shared commitment to the same high standard of individualized, compassionate equine hoof care.

Together, Lance and Dustin represent a generational legacy of farriery excellence — the kind of trusted, experienced team you want on your side when your horse's soundness is on the line.

If your horse has been diagnosed with laminitis or you're concerned about hoof changes that may indicate early founder, don't wait. Contact Lance Kendrick Horseshoeing today at 260-625-3767 and speak with a farrier who has the experience to truly help.

Lance Kendrick Horseshoeing

Address:  943 East 600 South, Claypool, Indiana 46510
Phone: 2606253767
Email: kendrickjan@gmail.com

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can laminitis be cured with corrective shoeing alone?

Corrective shoeing is a critical part of laminitis management, but it works best as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes veterinary care, dietary management, and controlled exercise. Shoeing alone is not a cure — it is an essential tool in a broader recovery strategy.

Q: How often does a laminitic horse need farrier visits?

Laminitic horses typically need farrier attention every 4 to 6 weeks during active recovery — more frequently than healthy horses. Each visit allows the farrier to assess healing progress, adjust shoe angles, and respond to changes in the hoof structure.

Q: What are the early signs of laminitis I should watch for?

Early warning signs include: heat in the hooves, a pounding digital pulse, reluctance to walk or turn, standing with weight shifted to the hindquarters, and sensitivity when walking on hard ground. If you notice any of these, call your veterinarian immediately.

Q: Is corrective shoeing expensive?

Therapeutic and corrective shoeing does typically cost more than standard shoeing due to the specialized materials and additional time required. However, the cost of corrective shoeing is far less than the long-term cost of mismanaged laminitis — which can result in permanent lameness.

Q: Can a horse with laminitis be ridden again?

Many horses with mild to moderate laminitis return to ridden work after a proper recovery period with expert farrier management and veterinary clearance. The timeline and prognosis depend entirely on the severity of the episode and the quality of ongoing hoof care.

Q: What's the difference between laminitis and founder?

Laminitis refers to the inflammation of the laminae within the hoof. Founder refers specifically to the rotation or sinking of the coffin bone that occurs as a result of severe or chronic laminitis. All founder horses have had laminitis, but not all laminitis cases progress to founder.

Conclusion

Laminitis is one of the most serious conditions your horse can face — but it is not automatically a death sentence or a career-ending diagnosis. With prompt veterinary intervention, strict dietary management, and most importantly, expert corrective horseshoeing from an experienced therapeutic farrier, many horses recover to live comfortable, sound, and productive lives.

The key is choosing the right farrier — one with the knowledge, track record, and technical skill to manage complex hoof cases with precision and care. In Northern Indiana, that farrier is Lance Kendrick.

Don't leave your horse's recovery to chance. Call Lance Kendrick Horseshoeing at 260-625-3767 today and take the first step toward getting your horse the expert care they deserve.