Fig. 12. A, Chronic laminitic foot in an unmodified hoof boot. Support material was EVA foam pad. Mare was 2 months from foaling, Obel grade 3 in the boot above. B, Same mare in panel A now in a hoof boot with a 5° interchangeable sole. Support material was EVA foam pad. Mare was Obel grade 1 to 2 for the remainder of her pregnancy. She delivered a healthy, full-term foal. She has been transitioned to glue-on shoes. C, Chronic laminitic foot. Mare was Obel grade 3. Mare had a large subsolar seroma. A modified hoof boot was chosen to provide mechanics and keep the solar defect clean and protected. D, Same mare in panel C, shown in a hoof boot with a 5° interchangeable sole. Support material was felt pad soaked in betadine solution. Mare was Obel grade 2 in the modified hoof boot. She has been handed over to her farrier and is in and out of boots depending on her comfort level.
ulates that using a boot to indirectly attach a shoe to the hoof wall allows the boot to act as a buffer against forces that are painful to some horses in-
cluding shock, vibrations, and torque. The semi- soft construction of the boot bottom is likely dampening shock and absorbing vibrations pro-
Fig. 13. A, Chronic laminitic mare 3 years post tenotomy of the DDFT. She has a chronic, negative solar margin angle of the distal phalanx due to overcorrection. She suffers from heel pain and occasional abscesses in the caudal portion of her foot. B, Same mare in panel A, shown in a hoof boot with a 5° polyurethane rail shoe glued on. She has been managed for 1 year in a modified hoof boot. She is turned out 12 hours a day in a small paddock. She has dedicated owners, a good quality of life, and is able to successfully perform her duties as a broodmare.
