The horse has stretched white line

Denys Antonenko • June 29, 2022

This is a subtitle for your new post



When I tell that to owners while trimming their horse they just nod, smile and say “Wow that’s interesting😁”. Not a lot of owners dive deep into the anatomy of the equine hoof so it’s hard for them to understand what im talking about. No problem! This is exactly why im posting this!🤓


So the hoof is made up of different parts. If you pick it up and look at the bottom part of it you’ll see the sole and on the outer periphery comes the white line, water line and then the hoof wall. (Look at images below). First I want to mention that white line is actually not white, its a creamy color, so don’t be fooled. 😅

If we look from the side of the hoof, the bone should be parallel with the hoof wall (radiographs show that). The white line grows directly from the tip of P3 (Third Phalanx) , it connects the sole and hoof wall around the periphery of the hoof and in a “normal”, healthy foot it is even, around 2-5 millimeters thick and not crumbly. I repeat, healthy white line SHOULD NOT be crumbly if you were to pick at it with a hoof pick. It should be “waxy”.


What happens in an unhealthy hoof? If we were to split the hoof in half and take a look at it from the side we would find out that the space between the white line and the hoof wall literally stretched. When it stretches the space between the sole one the wall fills in with material called lamellar wedge. This material is not as dense as the hoof wall or white line, thus when you touch it with the hoof pick it will usually crumble.


What causes this separation? It can be caused by improper trimming. If flares aren’t managed then your horse will continue having a stretched white line. ❗️Diet is a big thing. ❗️If there’s something the horse is eating that’s causing inflammation then we can’t grow a tightly connected hoof. 


Next time you clean your horses feet out take a look at the white line. Is it stretched? If it is, then its time to make some changes!😃


Do you see stretched white line in your horse?


Denys A.


https://www.thelaminitissite.org/feet-faq--articles/the-realigning-trim-the-front-of-the-foot

How to build a dry lot

By Denys Antonenko • April 23, 2024
Click on the button below to download the free PDF step by step guide to building a dry lot or scroll to look at the guide below!

Leave or remove the lamellar wedge?

By Denys Antonenko • April 21, 2023
One Minute Discussions #66 Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care LEAVE OR REMOVE THE LAMELLAR WEDGE? The lamellar wedge is the adaptation of the hoof to internal problems. And although it’s a sign of inflammation, it may still serve a purpose during rehab. It’s still responsible for “glueing together” the wall and sole, but that “glue” is not as strong as it’s supposed to be. So how do we address it in the trim. Everything depends on the horses comfort level and the condition of the lamellar wedge. It won’t be a wise decision to totally remove the lamellar wedge if it is soggy, weak and not fully keratinized. But in a lot of cases it is safe to remove most, if not all of it, if the lamellar wedge is keratinized, dry and sturdy (especially if we’re putting the horse in therapy boots). In some cases it is a good idea to trim the bottom, flared growth evenly with the well connected top growth in order to reduce leverage on the lamina as much as we can. Denys Antonenko

What causes lamina separation?

By Denys Antonenko • April 21, 2023
One Minute Discussions #65 Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care WHAT CAUSES LAMINA SEPARATION Yesterday on my group I posted a question… what causes lamina separation? And although we’re used to hearing the most common things that separate the lamina, such as poor diet, metabolic problems, excessive toe leverage, etc, we don’t often hear about the less common things that can lead to a path of lamina failure without us noticing it. You’ve heard me say it many times before that lamina failure is not a result of just one thing. There’s always multiple factors contributing to the problem. As an example, bacterial and fungal infections weaken the foot, and that can result in lamina separation. Mental and physical stress can increase hormone levels which may result in poor hoof health. Many different problems happening elsewhere in the horses body (skin issues, allergies, dental problems) can be a factor that leads to a weak lamina. Denys Antonenko