Horse Racing Tips

Laminitis in Racehorses

Laminitis is a word that strikes fear in the hearts of every horse owner, be it family horses or racehorses. In 1989, the magnificent Secretariat was euthanized because of laminitis; a similar fate was suffered more recently by Barbaro, the people’s hero, who also contracted laminitis after suffering a broken leg. When humans decided to domesticate horses, their diets and workloads changed dramatically from what they were accustomed to in the wild, and this has opened the door to illnesses and injuries which would probably not have occurred had they remained wild. But there is hope for horses with laminitis, depending on the severity, and as more research is done into laminitis, the more is learnt and preventative measures developed.

The Low Down on DOD

In 1986, the term Developmental Orthopaedic Disease, or DOD, was used for the first time. The term is a general description and can be misleading as DOD not only refers to bone diseases, but also to problems that are found in developing joints and plates. Developmental Orthopaedic Disease is therefore a diagnosis for any development issues of the musculoskeletal structure. Even though there is no specific general cure or treatment that can assist in all the various forms of Developmental Orhtopaedic Disease, problems can be treated and steps can be taken to prevent most DODs.