Early Detection Protocol,

A Structured Monitoring Framework

 

Laminitis prevention does not begin with crisis management.

 

It begins with disciplined observation.

 

Most owners monitor when something looks wrong. Responsible management requires monitoring while the horse is healthy. Early deviation is far easier to correct than established structural compromise.

 

This page outlines a structured early detection protocol designed to identify metabolic and vascular changes before overt lameness develops.

 

This is not diagnostic medicine.

It is systematic observation.

 

 

Layer 1, Establishing Baselines

 

You cannot detect deviation if you do not know what normal looks like.

 

For every horse under your care:

 

• Establish a resting digital pulse baseline

• Record normal hoof surface temperature under stable conditions

• Document body condition score and regional fat distribution

• Note normal stride length and symmetry during straight line movement

 

Baselines must be established when the horse is metabolically stable.

 

Without baseline data, monitoring becomes guesswork.

 

 

Layer 2, Comparative Hoof Temperature Monitoring

 

A handheld infrared thermometer is not a diagnostic device. It is a comparative instrument.

 

Temperature should be assessed:

 

• In shade

• At the dorsal hoof wall, mid height

• At the coronary band

• Under similar environmental conditions

 

The focus is not on absolute numbers. The focus is symmetry.

 

Compare:

 

• Left fore to right fore

• Forelimbs to hindlimbs

• Today’s reading to established baseline

 

Consistent asymmetry under controlled conditions warrants closer observation.

 

Environmental variables must always be considered. Sun exposure, footing type, and recent exercise will influence readings.

 

Deviation, not numbers, drives decision making.

 

 

Layer 3, Digital Pulse Assessment

 

Digital pulse quality should be assessed routinely, not only during suspected laminitis.

 

A faint or barely perceptible pulse is normal in a healthy resting horse.

 

An increase in strength or bounding quality, especially when paired with temperature asymmetry, indicates vascular change within the hoof capsule.

 

Pulse assessment is simple. Consistency in checking it is what creates value.

 

 

Layer 4, Performance Indicators

 

Performance decline is often the earliest functional signal.

 

Monitor for:

 

• Subtle shortening of stride

• Reduced impulsion

• Reluctance to engage the forehand

• Increased stiffness in transitions

• Preference for softer footing

 

These are not training issues until physiological stability has been ruled out.

 

A horse protecting its forelimbs cannot fully express athletic capacity.

 

 

Layer 5, Metabolic Risk Assessment

 

Early detection is incomplete without dietary evaluation.

 

Review:

 

• Non-structural carbohydrate exposure

• Pasture access during seasonal flush

• Concentrate starch load

• Feeding frequency and pattern

 

Metabolic instability precedes mechanical failure. Feeding strategy must reflect breed type, workload, and environmental conditions.

 

 

Decision Threshold

 

When two or more early deviation markers appear together, temperature asymmetry, increased digital pulse, and subtle performance change, management adjustments should occur immediately.

 

This may include:

 

• Pasture restriction

• Reduction of starch load

• Increased forage stability

• Temporary workload modification

• Veterinary consultation where appropriate

 

The objective is correction before structural compromise develops.

 

 

The Discipline Advantage

 

Laminitis rarely appears without warning.

 

What separates responsible management from crisis response is disciplined monitoring.

A structured early detection protocol does not eliminate risk. It reduces uncertainty and increases response time.

 

Time is the difference between metabolic adjustment and structural damage.