What exactly happens inside a horse’s hoof during the onset of laminitis?
When the trigger factor (for which we are still searching) arrives in the horse’s foot, it triggers an event which activates the protease enzyme located within the basement membrane. When these protease enzymes are activated for too long a time, the basement membrane starts to slip away from the dermis. The destruction of the basement membrane by these protease enzymes results in a stretching of the laminae (this resembles a glove coming off of a finger). The result is the bone loses the support in the hoof capsule by the laminae. This lack of support causes the bone to sink into the hoof capsule. After this occurs the horse has severe laminitis, and when this tearing is happening and the coffin bone is sinking there are great amounts of micro hemorrhaging and inflammatory response in the foot. Over the next 6 to 8 months the foot is in the process of trying to rebuild itself. It is not very well understood why this rebuilding process is more successful in some horses than others. We t
