Canopy Equine Veterinary and Podiatry

08/21/2024

This week we are continuing our discussion on ⭐frog health⭐ at Canopy Equine!🐎

Most horse owners have experienced a foul smelling👃 black discharge when picking out their horses hooves at one time or another. This condition is commonly known as thrush, a disease caused by an anaerobic (low-oxygen) bacterium called Fusobacterium necrophorum.

Thrush starts as an opportunistic infection of the frog, but if left untreated it can spread to other areas of the hoof and cause lameness. Managerial and environmental factors can lead to your horse developing thrush. Horses that stand in urine and f***s due to poor stall and paddock management are very susceptible to infection. Uric acid in urine breaks down hoof horn, allowing bacteria to infiltrate. Unfortunately some horses are more susceptible than others, so even in a clean dry environment your horse could experience thrush. At its worst, thrush can cause open wounds exposing sensitive tissue on the bottom of the foot causing severe lameness.

To prevent and treat thrush, it is essential to regularly pick out hooves to remove debris and moisture. Maintaining clean, dry stalls and paddocks, replacing bedding regularly, and allowing your horse room to roam in a pasture will greatly help in prevention as well. Your veterinarian or farrier might also recommend a topical antibiotic to aid in treatment. It is very important to keep your horse on a regular trimming or shoeing cycle, as your farrier can open up the frog tissue to expose the bacteria to an uninhabitable aerobic environment.
Thrush is very common, but with good hoof hygiene and stall maintenance you can keep your equine partners feet smelling and feeling their best!💞🐎

Stay tuned next week, we will cover another disease of the frog known as canker!

08/09/2024

August is ⭐Frog Health Month⭐ at Canopy Equine!

Did you know that your horse’s frog can reveal a lot about their hoof health?🐸💅

The frog is the insensitive, rubbery, arrow shaped cushion that is located on the bottom of the hoof. Its job is to provide traction, absorb shock, and act as a venous blood pump to assist in bringing oxygenated blood@to the digit.

To do its job effectively in a moderately moist environment🌴, a healthy frog should be rubbery, wide, and the texture of soft rubber. In a drier climate the frog will normally be more calloused and hard. Just as hooves vary in appearance, frogs do too! Horses with wide, flat feet generally have a wider, more splayed out frog, while those with upright feet tend to have a narrower recessed frog.

Regardless of whether your horse is a top level athlete or a pasture pet, the frog plays an important role in the health of their hooves. Next week we will explore common diseases of the frog, as well as treatments to keep your equine partner feeling and performing their best!💞🐎

07/28/2024

This year has been lucky enough to be a part of an exceptional team that is about to complete their exciting journey to the 2024 Olympics in Paris! 🍀

For the past 6 months she has traveled to places throughout Europe to shoe qualifying FEI athletes at their top level in the sport of eventing. Meeting talented and dedicated horse professionals at the peak of their career has been Dr. Staples’ favorite part of the journey.

She couldn’t have done this without her amazing clients both on the road and at home. Congratulations Patch and Ronald Zabala for their impressive achievements in and outside of the ring!! 🤩

04/25/2024

This will be a fun discussion about decisions made in everyday work that promote health of the hoof capsule and its internal structures. Join us!!!

Happy Sunday!

We hope you have a safe and blessed week! Don’t forget about this clinic!

Please RSVP to Lloyd or message our page!

02/28/2024

What is a veterinary equine podiatrist? 🐎⛑️

We are licensed veterinarians with specialty training in farrier science, whose daily practice centers on optimizing hoof capsule function and limb biomechanics. Canopy Equine provides services that work to prevent, treat, and manage lameness issues that affect our equine partners including laminitis, quarter cracks, white line disease, hoof imbalances, tendon and ligament injuries, etc. With the use of imaging diagnostics such as X-ray and/or ultrasound, podiatrists combine traditional therapeutic techniques with modern-day medicine to help maximize equine performance and quality of life. Contact Canopy Equine for further inquiry on how we can help bring comfort to your horse! Visit Canopyequinevet.com or call (352)234-3034.

08/13/2023

Come out this Saturday and join the fun!!

08/11/2023

Have you ever thought about the hoof in terms of its blood supply?!

The “Velcro-like” organ called the lamina attaches the coffin bone to the hard hoof capsule with such strength that it consumes more glucose than the brain of the horse itself!! 👀👀

Its metabolic activity is very high, which is why this organ is so sensitive to systemic diseases such a fever, placentitis, or colitis. 👩🏻‍⚕️🥼🩺

These images are part of a X-Ray study called a venogram which is used by veterinarians to assess the status of the blood supply to the foot. It is most commonly used to help determine prognosis for laminitis but has also been used for the diagnosis of things like tumors and bones diseases of the foot. 🩻

Only one of these images in this series is “normal “…can you guess which one?!

07/23/2023

THE CLUB FOOT or contractural deformity of the digit is a result of a tight deep digital flexor tendon. We will categorize them as either congenital or acquired depending on the age of onset. We often see them as a result of over conditioning (rapid and excessive growth) in foals between 2-8 months of life but it can also be a result of foot pain (acquired). Functionally these limbs tend to be shorter than the opposing limb which makes management and treatment multi factorial.

Here are some examples CEVP has managed in the past. The best time to have these foals and young ones evaluated is around weaning or before!

As the horse ages into their first years of life, the application of toe extensions or spring shoes can be rewarding! In more severe cases, surgery is elected.
Club feet often experience abnormal wear of the hoof capsule and tend to predispose adult horses to things like white line disease and foot pain as a result of excessive wear.

Call CEVP if you have any concerns about your horse’s risk of this condition!

07/16/2023

Laminitis and subsequent rotation of the coffin bone is a horse owner’s nightmare: it’s life threatening, expensive to treat, and at its worst, untreatable.
At we treat each case with four basic tenants:

1) Identify and halt the cause of inflammation and failure of the lamina.

2) Apply therapeutic footwear to alleviate strain on the effected parts of the hoof capsule.

3) Medical management of inflammation, pain, and systemic imbalances.

4) Rest and supportive care.

It’s a team effort that requires the dedication of all parties involved and many of these cases are successfully treated!
For those horse owners and caretakers helping their equines through this challenging disease, thank you for your dedication and hard work!!

05/17/2023

Springtime foaling season is a busy season for all horse doctors and professionals , including podiatrists! Once they are born and their overall health is examined by a veterinarian, a close eye is kept on their limb conformation and position. Close and frequent monitoring of their legs is best done by a veterinarian or experienced foal manager. Here are photos of 2023 babies that needed some limb support in the form of extensions, braces, and expert bandaging. With so many things that can go awry with these leggy creatures, it’s a real gift when the healthy ones come our way!!

03/16/2023

03/01/2023

This middle aged show jumping school horse was returned from a lease unable to lift either front feet due to severe pain from laminitis. He had undiagnosed Cushing’s disease and suffered from an acute episode of laminitis that was heightened by stress from long distance travel in the middle of the Florida summer heat.
A bilateral venogram confirmed both the presence of rotation and medial sinking and he was given a guarded prognosis. Therapeutic farriery, stall rest, and medical management of his Cushing’s disease were started last October. Over the next several months his comfort continued to improve, despite coronary band separation on the front and inside of his hoof capsule.
His continued improvement radiographically and clinically allowing him to be shod in rocker steel shoes with pads in January and is now back under saddle tack walking. His dedicated owner has goals of trail riding in the second half of this year and it looks like nothing is standing in the way of that goal now! Great job Forest!

01/13/2023

Shoeing horses and working on horse feet is HARD WORK physically and mentally. The physical wear on the human body adds up! Notice the way your farrier steps out of the truck, or the way they get under the first horse of the day…you bet they have stories for every hitch in their giddy up.

Show your farrier how much you appreciate their dedication to your horses’ welfare with an unexpected tip, box of sweets, or delicious warm beverage!
A simple act of kindness goes a long way on a cold day!

01/08/2023

Huge shoutout to the Florida State Farrier’s Association for putting on an unforgettable forging contest and event…what a blast of a weekend!

So many people to thank for the coordination and effort it took to put on a shoe building and shoeing contest, Blacksmith Buddies event, round table discussion, banquet, and live auction. Thank you!❤️❤️❤️

🔨To judges Sam and Kate Gooding for setting the standards and passing along some timeless wisdom and advice. Almost 10 years after working for Sam, it was very special to have his continued input on my work. ⚒️

🐎I competed in 3 classes for Division 2 and qualified in the top 3 for the live shoeing. The live shoeing consisted of a pair of hind feet, quarter clipped and plain stamped. With 90 seconds left, I clinched both hinds and finished which was my goal since I am out of forging-shape!

🚨Despite getting in an auto accident and having my truck towed away, my spirits were still high with all the support from the crew. Shoutout to TJ Steele and for helping get back on the road on this coming Monday. 🤞🤞
Thanks again to the Florida State Farrier’s Association!!!

01/02/2023

Deep digit flexor tenotomy paired with derotation or “realignment” shoeing in laminitic horses can be a life-saving procedure. The goals of this extensive procedure are to move the center of coffin joint rotation towards the back half of the foot, reduce tension on the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), load healthy structures such as the frog, bars, and heels, and to ease breakover. This aids the foot in stopping further displacement of the coffin bone and supports a healthy vascular supply. Only then will the feet be able to grow with appropriate alignment.

Case selection for this procedure is VERY important as studies in the past have shown us that bone disease and the presence of complete distal displacement or “sinking” reduces the prognosis significantly. Timing of the procedure is of the essence as well: earlier intervention has proven more effective due to restoring appropriate blood flow to the bone, this prevent further bone damage.
Laminitis is a life-threatening condition that is the #2 cause of death in horses. Prevention is key!!!

12/05/2022

Shoeing horses requires a unique sense of science (anatomy and biomechanics), environmental awareness, and sculpture art. I see each job as an opportunity to sculpt an ever-changing object into a high-functioning structure. loves a good challenge! Great fit

11/26/2022

This clever mare found a effective way to communicate her shoeing preference…she somehow finagled her lead rope into a temporary heel wedge! She stood there quietly once the rope was in place. Next lesson: how to shape a horse shoe!

11/20/2022

An abscess will always find the path of least resistance to erupt…this one just needed a little help! This abscess was secondary to mild bone damage after a severe case of white line disease. Luckily, the horse is doing great!

10/22/2022

White line disease…yuck! Many Floridians and residents of moist environments are familiar with this opportunistic infection of the hoof wall. Never heard of it?! Lucky you! It can be a life threatening infection that can quickly become out of hand if not recognized and treated appropriately. Most cases are treated and prevented by farriers but occasionally more serious interventions are needed. Here is a quick review!
-—White line disease is an opportunistic, mixed bacterial and fungal infection of the non-pigmented aspect of the hoof wall.
-—it thrives in anaerobic (without oxygen) and moist environments.
-—It mainly affects abnormal hoof wall in feet that have pre-existing disease such as laminitis, coffin bone defects, poor nail placement when shod, and long, overgrown hooves.
-—Severe infections can cause separation of the hoof wall and coffin bone leading to life-threatening laminitis and resulting bone disease.
-—Treatment requires removing infected hoof wall and exposing the affected tissue to medication (anti-fungal, antibacterial).
-—Therapeutic shoeing is often needed to support the coffin bone in the absence of healthy hoof wall.
-X-ray is essential in diagnosing and properly treating.
-—A full recovery is possible with effective treatment! 🐎

Here are some recent cases Canopy Equine has helped this year!

09/07/2022

One of most treasured patients demonstrating his superb balancing skills standing on just two feet while we clinch him up! Teamwork makes the dream work !

08/04/2022

08/02/2022

What do you think is the most important part of providing therapeutic farriery? 🧐It’s not the expensive shoes, smelly glue, or colorful impression material…it’s the trimming of the foot itself!

Manipulating distortion of the hoof capsule in order to improve mechanics is arguably the most technical and difficult part of our job. This must be done in a way that preserves the integrity of the hoof capsule with sufficient sole depth. Oftentimes radiographs are necessary to achieve these goals. Here are a few examples of these challenging feet!

05/31/2022

White line disease can range from a simple seedy toe, to a complete infection of the hoof wall. The bacterial and fungal agent attacks the non-pigmented part of the hoof wall itself and not the white line. With severe cases, it can cause rotation of the coffin bone due to the infection of the wall itself.
The key to treatment is exposing the area to anti-fungal and antibacterials locally and to keep the infection from moving up the wall.
This sweet gelding has a serious case of white line disease resulting in rotation of the coffin bone and lameness. Most of the hoof wall had been missing already so we stripped away the disease hoof, and rebuilt him a bottom border. We then casted on a Soft Rider clog and cut away the cast In order to apply daily treatments. Keep your fingers crossed for this trooper!

05/15/2022

Squirmy wormy MAGGOTS are just what the doctor ordered! These little guys eat away diseased, dead tissue (debridement) and preserve the healthy tissue. They hang out for a few day eating, getting plump, and then die. How cool
Is that?!

04/25/2022

How long is too long when treating for an abscess?!
Typically horses with abscesses are acutely lame in one foot. We see them clinically ranging from taking an off step every once in a while, to completely non-weight bearing. 🙈
The pain typically resolves when drainage is established but can linger with subsequent damage to the bone (pedal osteitis), solar corium, or coronary corium. Radiographs ARE KEY to helping these horses. First to establish a possible cause such as a keratoma, sequestrum, or hot nail. And second to rule out serious life threatening causes such as foreign body (street nail) or bone infection. 🙅‍♀️
Abscesses are treated mainly with establishing a solute gradient to “draw out” fluid. Pastes, packs, soaks, and pads are all used to encourage the movement of fluid to the external aspect of the foot, resulting in a reduction of pressure within the hoof capsule.
So how long is too long? It depends on the degree of lameness. Involve your veterinarian if you suspect an abscess! Soak/pack/or pad the foot until they can get out to you!

04/19/2022

Handmade Monday!!

👠This long yearling is approximately 4 months post-op superior and inferior check ligament desmotomy surgery that was done to help with moderate contracture of the superficial and deep digital flexor tendons. In addition to the flexural deformity, this trooper also dealt with an angular deformity, mild fetlock varus. 👩🏽‍🏫 These abnormal forces (flexural and angular deformities) cause an otherwise normal hoof capsule to wear unevenly, exaggerating the abnormal forces. This horse had very little dorsal and lateral hoof wall, luckily just enough to nail into.

🐎 CEVP decided to hand make a lateral support shoe with a mild toe extension to help this filly mechanically. Although the extensions are only 1/4-3/8” dorsally and laterally, a little goes a long way especially after growth plates have closed. The goals for shoeing are to support healthy hoof growth in the areas that were worn away, as well as assist with mechanics in improving the mild flexural deformity.