What is the white line in a horses hoof?
The white line of the foot can be seen by looking at the sole of your horse’s hoof. The area (that looks whitish) between the outside hoof wall and where it meets the sole is the white line. When this becomes damaged, it allows fungus and/or bacteria to invade and separate the layers of the hoof wall.
What happens to a horse with white line disease?
Because white line disease deteriorates portions of the hoof wall, and the hoof wall is further compromised by treatment that requires debridement (removal of the infected hoof wall), secondary problems can occur.
Where is the white line on a horse’s hoof?
A horse’s hoof can be looked at in layers- the outer hoof wall, hoof horn, and the laminae. You can learn more about hoof anatomy here. The white line is the light area between the hoof wall and where it joins the sole.
How does a farrier treat white line disease?
The mainstay of white line disease treatment is hoof-wall resection, where a skilled farrier cuts away all three layers of the hoof wall to remove the infected material. A hoof knife or Dremel tool can clear out the powdery hoof wall.
What kind of disease is white line disease?
White line disease is an opportunistic disease, meaning the pathogens take advantage of a weakened or compromised hoof wall, such as hoof wall separation caused by an improperly balanced hoof…
A horse’s hoof can be looked at in layers- the outer hoof wall, hoof horn, and the laminae. You can learn more about hoof anatomy here. The white line is the light area between the hoof wall and where it joins the sole.
What does white line disease do to horses?
White line disease is something that typically affects horses that have a weakened hoof wall- it is considered opportunistic, and frequently a “perfect storm” scenario. The white line “widens”, which is the separation of the sole and hoof wall.
The mainstay of white line disease treatment is hoof-wall resection, where a skilled farrier cuts away all three layers of the hoof wall to remove the infected material. A hoof knife or Dremel tool can clear out the powdery hoof wall.
White line disease is an opportunistic disease, meaning the pathogens take advantage of a weakened or compromised hoof wall, such as hoof wall separation caused by an improperly balanced hoof…
