Seedy toe - White Line Disease

Observation of the Horse by Farrier and Owner
White line disease in horses has been called the hidden enemy. It's an insidious condition that can have been establishing itself over a period of months - even years - before the detrimental effects begin to show in your horse's hooves.

Hoof care in white line disease - as in laminitis and quarter cracks - is aided by rapid action. Recognise the condition and treat it correctly.

This is page 2 in a series of pages on White line disease and Hoof repair and Reconstruction. Click-through links are listed at the end of this page.

Recognising seedy toe / white line disease in the foot of your horse.

White line disease is also referred to as seedy toe. This is a descriptive term for

• seedy - the state of the affected hoof tissue - dry, crumbly texture
  
• toe - a spot on the hoof wall at which white line disease often begins
  

You may spot a black discoloration of the white line area at the toe - though if you haven't encountered seedy toe or white line disease in horses before, it may be your farrier who spots this.

You may also see the condition of your horse's hoof deteriorating - becoming brittle and dry. The area of the hoof wall that holds the horse shoe nails seems to be breaking away. This is nothing to do with bad shoeing, or a lack of hoof care - and again, your farrier should spot these warning signs early on.

It's also your farrier who is probably more likely to spot a hidden 'gallery'. This is a hollow area inside the hoof wall, often quite high up towards the coronet. It is the result of the damage that has been done as hoof tissue is being eaten away from within. From the outside the hoof looks normal, but you can compare it to an oak door that is being ravaged by termites.

And don't forget ..You, as owner, know your horse. You recognise when he's 'just not himself', when he's 'not happy in his going'. Don't ignore your own instinct here.