Ellen Curnow - Equine Podiatrist

01/08/2026

‘Yikes…wtf am I gonna do with that?’

A moment on the grid for Miss Darna’s first 4 week cycle! First 2 photos are both pre-trim on 2nd July, the first time I trimmed her. All photos are of LF.

Her wonderful owner was originally sort of backed into the corner of pulling the shoes because this horse just would not hold a shoe. Her horn quality was/is so poor she just threw shoes for fun, and usually took most of her wall with it. The farrier she had is great, but no amount of nails or glue is going to keep a shoe on for more than 5 minutes when the wall itself just disintegrates. Honestly the flare removal in the first trim was the weirdest thing - her outer wall didn’t file off it just turned to dust and blew away in the breeze, very bizarre.

SO, the original assignment was to sort the horn quality (which of course is actually not a trim thing at all)! Considerations in this case are; mineral balance, protein content, amino acid profile, alfalfa removal, GM soya removal, a previous stomach ulcer treatment, and of course topical sterilising agents in the short term.

Any wall actually touching the floor on day one was bendable with my own fingers - utterly useless to 17hh of ID X Swedish WB 🫠 So we fitted her some Flex Hoof Boots knowing that she was going to be loading sole much more than we would like, to offer her some extra protection whilst we get better quality wall on the ground. She’s actually far more comfortable on these feet than she could be which is brilliant!

However, I also wanted to see her heels open up/expand and her digital cushion to ‘inflate’ because I didn’t love the pinched look we had across the back half of that hoof capsule. And goodness me in 4 weeks are we rounder!!! Things I love:
- heel bulbs are further apart and less ‘pointy’
- central sulcus is shallower and more open
- frog is wider
- heels are less underrun
- bars aren’t pointing inwards as much at the back
- and, we do actually have a smidge more wall thickness touching the floor. We have a better quality band of growth coming down which I’d anticipate will hit the floor in approx 2 more months so this will help with weight distribution massively.
(Continued ⬇️)

16/06/2026

🚨 THE "ECVM" DEBATE: THE GAME-CHANGING NEW EVIDENCE EVERY HORSE OWNER NEEDS TO SEE 🚨

If you own a Warmblood, Thoroughbred, or sport horse, you’ve probably heard of ECVM (Equine Complex Vertebral Malformation).

For years, a massive debate has raged between horse owners and traditional veterinarians. Owners frequently share heartbreaking stories of horses suffering from unexplained neck stiffness, stumbling, or sudden behavior changes under saddle. Meanwhile, the mainstream veterinary establishment has often remained skeptical, arguing that because up to 40% of some horse populations have these C6/C7 variations without ever showing symptoms, it should be viewed as a "normal anatomical variant," not a disease.

But a groundbreaking new 2026 study has just completely changed the game. Leading researchers Dr. Sharon May-Davis (the anatomist who first discovered the condition), Dr. Audrey DeClue, and Kate Workman have published a peer-reviewed paper in the journal Animals that finally bridges the gap between science, veterinary imaging, and what owners are experiencing on the ground.

Here is exactly what this new research means for YOU and your horse:

1. It highlights the "Domino Effect" Inside the Neck 🧩
Skeptics have long argued that a slight bone variation doesn't automatically mean a horse is in pain. However, this study looked at the most severe form (Grade 4 Aplasia), where a crucial bony anchor point on the 6th neck vertebra (C6) is completely missing and transposed onto the 7th (C7).

By examining these cases, researchers showed that this skeletal defect creates a severe domino effect on the surrounding soft tissue:

The Muscles: The longus colli muscle—the absolute core stabilizer of your horse's neck—is left severely altered or completely asymmetrical because its structural anchor point is missing.

The Blood Flow: In 13 out of 20 cases, the malformation actually deformed the bone channel (foramen transversarium), which could directly disrupt or destabilise the vertebral artery, which supplies vital blood flow to the horse's brain.

2. No More Veterinary Guesswork 📸
In the past, vets struggled to diagnose this accurately on a live horse because standard field X-rays of the lower neck are notoriously hard to align. This study changes that. The researchers successfully established a precise, concrete protocol using specific bony landmarks. Vets can now reliably diagnose this severe structural deficit in live horses using standard field radiographs.

3. It Validates Horse Owners 🐴❤️
If you have been told your horse is just "being difficult," "resisting contact," or "unwilling to work," this paper provides a massive sigh of relief. It indicates that these severe structural variations could be directly tied to localized neck pain, neurological coordination issues, and severe biomechanical instability. It isn't a training issue; it is a physical defect.

What should you do next?

Look at the Whole Horse: Because symptoms like stumbling or stiffness overlap with other issues (like kissing spines, ulcers, or hock arthritis), traditional vets worry owners will stop looking for answers once they see a neck X-ray. Use this new data as a tool, not a catch-all.

Talk to Your Vet: If you have a horse with unresolved, chronic neck pain or unpredictable behavior, ask your veterinarian about this specific 2026 study. Vets now have an exact radiographic blueprint to look closer and get you definitive answers.

Our horses can't speak, so they rely on us to look past the surface. This new research gives us the power to finally see the full picture, make informed breeding decisions, protect horse welfare, and provide our equine partners with the exact care they deserve.

📝 SCIENTIFIC PRECISION UPDATE: To ensure we interpret this brilliant new data with absolute clinical accuracy, it is important to note a specific detail regarding the study's scope!

While the paper provides an incredibly compelling, highly logical anatomical framework for why these horses experience issues—mapping out exactly how the longus colli muscle and vertebral artery are structurally altered—it is an anatomical description of end-stage, symptomatic horses rather than a dynamic biomechanical study. Because it didn't include a healthy control group, strict science means it doesn't prove direct causation or the exact firing mechanics of the pain itself.

What it does definitively prove is a massive game-changer for diagnostics: veterinarians now have a validated radiographic blueprint to accurately identify this severe Grade 4 defect in live horses. It gives us the structural pieces of the puzzle so we can stop guessing and start looking closer! 🎯

If you are interested in reading the paper here is the link below:
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/16/3/482

24/05/2026

Eeeeeek I did a thing ✨
An open discussion surrounding bare feet, although there’s so much left to say I think we could have gone on all night 😆
Thank you for having me, I had a lovely time yapping about ponies with a doggo on my lap 😍😃

19/05/2026

Another great one from Emma. The Dunning-Kruger effect is SO rife in the industry right now. The people shouting loudest in absolutes are very unlikely to be the ones constantly expanding the depth and breadth of their knowledge. They’re very unlikely to be the ones actually out there daily helping a vast array of horses in a vast array of environments with a vast array of challenges or pathologies. They’re sitting merrily at day 1 with tons of confidence and not necessarily the knowledge to match.

14/05/2026

Couldn’t have put it any better myself!

‼️ LAMINITIS WARNING ‼️ The weather is cooler, the Laminitis Risk app says the risk is low, and yet horses are dropping like flies. I’ve had half a dozen calls in the last few days letting me know of a laminitis diagnosis, and most of them are big warmbloody, finer types. Samson (pictured) is fine with careful management by the way.

I’m no grass geek, but I know that sunshine and rain along with mild temperatures make the grass grow extra fast. I also hear that last year’s drought forced the grass to send its roots down deeper looking for moisture. And the deeper you go, the more nutrients you find. Then when the conditions are right for growth…. Disaster.

Laminitis does not just affect horses with metabolic disorders or insulin resistance. The change from dry hay cut last summer to what’s growing out there now is drastic. The gut biome is set up for fibre and is suddenly being fed sugar which causes uproar on the inside. It’s a very easy trap to fall into, so please check pulses, supraorbital fossa (the concave place above the eyes) and crests daily. Be watching for discomfort when turning, footiness, fat pads, swollen sheath/underside, and puffy fetlocks. Please please don’t be caught out

13/05/2026

A nice illustration here! But also note the difference in digital cushion size/depth/health. True concavity and healthy sole depth often go hand in hand with strong and functional palmar/plantar soft tissue structure. 💪🏼

🐎🕵‍♀️ Sole Depth 🕵‍♀️🐎

Owners will regularly see me applying some pressure on the horses soles with my fingers before I trim. I do this to help form my opinion on the horses' sole depth.

Without x-rays we can estimate a horses sole depth through a range of observations:

🐴 is the sole very flat rather than concave?
🫏 is there a stretched white line alongside flat soles?
🐎 is there any bruising around the toe or seat of corn areas?
🐴 does the frog and sole appear almost level with each other?
🐎 are the collateral grooves at each side of frog shallow or deep?

I will also feel this primarily around the toe area in front of the tip of the frog to see if there is any movement in the sole.

But why does it matter? Well thin soles will leave the horse more susceptible to bruising, pain and abcsessing. It may indicate that the horse would benefit from their feet being able to dry out and that boots and pads maybe helpful. It will also guide my trim as I may leave a little extra wall height.

These excellent images from Lindsey Field from Study of the Equine Hoof https://www.facebook.com/share/1e2UK8bAuM/ show a relatively normal sole depth compared to a thin sole. Look at where the tip of the pedal bone sits above this toe area you see me feeling.

12/05/2026

The mission of the ECIR Group Inc. is to improve the welfare of equines with metabolic disorders. A primary objective of the ECIR Group Inc. is education through outreach (https://ecir.groups.io/g/main), the NO! Laminitis Conference (https://www.nolaminitis.org/), webinars, our website (https://www.ecirhorse.org/) and social media via Facebook and Instagram. We are an evidence-based organization, meaning that protocols, advice, and recommendations are rooted in science. We believe real-life clinical experience should drive research, both in generating hypotheses and in the evaluation of treatment. As a non-profit organization, donations are used to further science related to equine metabolic disorders and to support various media to advance the group mission. Free support is provided by vetted and trained volunteers.

Our posts on Facebook are increasingly being dominated by people linked to a group of hoof care providers that push an opinion that laminitis is due to hoof imbalances, claiming that “diet doesn’t cause laminitis.” This oversimplified and naïve statement is steeped in ignorance, highlighting a complete lack of understanding of the physiology behind equine metabolic disorders and effect on the foot. It is well established scientifically, clinically, and through the personal experience of literally thousands of ECIR members that hyperinsulinemia is the direct cause of endocrinopathic laminitis. Exercise and dietary control of hydrolyzable carbohydrates (simple sugars and starch) are the most effective methods to reduce insulin and thereby prevent laminitis. Trimming the hoof capsule correctly to realign the boney column and soft tissue structure is critical to facilitate recovery.

We promote scientific discussion and debate when there is equal sharing of evidence-based facts. When commenters deviate from discussion and use our site to advance their unproven and unsupported theories, especially those that may cause harm, it gives the appearance that the ECIR Group supports their position.

We do not.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that there will always be equine marketers who are not giving you the best information to guide you through your journey to help your equine. We hope followers continue to benefit from what ECIR members have learned from 25 years of experience with equine metabolic disorders.

Kathleen Gustafson, PhD
President and Research Advisor

Eleanor Kellon, VMD
Veterinary Advisor

Cindy McGinley
Vice-President

Nancy Collins
Executive Director

Jodie Jensen
Treasurer

Jannalee Smithey
Secretary

Fran Metzger
Director

Ulrike Gast
Director

Sherry Morse
Director

01/05/2026

I received my first panicky voicemail of the year this week. Please be vigilant and proactive rather than reactive folks!

13/04/2026

Folks I’m seeing my first lot of metabolically vulnerable horses starting to feel the change in the pasture and not for the better, please don’t ignore this! You don’t want your horse to be next

Insulin rises beyond tolerance, the laminae loose connection and integrity and gravity and force does the rest to disconnect the pedal bone from the hoof capsule