An Estimation of Lameness in Sable Island Horses Using Radiographic Evaluation of the Distal Phalanx and Hoof Capsule

Laminitis is a painful condition that causes lameness in horses. However, monitoring this condition in feral horses is logistically difficult. Laminitis can be detected postmortem, as inflammation of the sensitive laminae of the hoof changes the relative location of the bony structures within the ho...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of applied animal welfare science Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 184 - 194
Main Authors:	Mellish, Martha A., Lucas, Zoe N., Puchalski, Sarah M., Kusch, T. Alexandra
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England Taylor & Francis 03-04-2023 Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects:	Animals Cadavers Canada Condition monitoring Confidence intervals Depth perception Equine Evaluation feral Feral populations Foot Diseases - diagnostic imaging Foot Diseases - epidemiology Foot Diseases - veterinary Hoof Hoof and Claw - diagnostic imaging Horse Diseases - diagnostic imaging Horse Diseases - epidemiology Horses Lameness, Animal - diagnostic imaging Lameness, Animal - epidemiology Laminates laminitis National parks radiographic Sable Island National Park Reserve Wall thickness Canada Sable Island radiographic Sable Island National Park Reserve feral Equine laminitis
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Summary:	Laminitis is a painful condition that causes lameness in horses. However, monitoring this condition in feral horses is logistically difficult. Laminitis can be detected postmortem, as inflammation of the sensitive laminae of the hoof changes the relative location of the bony structures within the hoof capsule. Thus, evaluation of cadavers may be used to estimate laminitis prevalence in feral populations of horses. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of laminitis in feral horses inhabiting the Sable Island National Park Reserve, Canada, using radiographic imagery on the hooves of naturally deceased horses. Radiographic indicators evaluated included coronary band extensor process distance (CE), capsular rotation (CR), palmar angle (PA), ratio of the dorsal hoof wall thickness to the length of the distal phalanx (DHWT:P3) and sole depth (SLD). Each value measured indicated the following prevalence of laminitis: CE 0% (97.5% Confidence Interval (CI) 0-4.51%), 8.75% CR (95%CI 3.59-17.2%), PA 25% (95% CI 15.99-35.94%), DHWT:P3 6.25% (95%CI 2.06-14.0%) and 65% SLD (95% CI 53.52-75.33%). The majority of indices measured for laminitis were low. These findings suggest that laminitis is fairly infrequent in the Sable Island horses evaluated in this study.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1088-8705 1532-7604
DOI:	10.1080/10888705.2021.1929231