Seedy Toe

Seedy toe, or white line disease, occurs when the layers of the inside of the hoof wall separate at the white line creating a cavity which starts from the sole and may extend right up to the coronet. These layers are the sensitive and insensitive laminae. The hoof wall may look healthy, but the cavity of seedy toe can been seen on the underside of the foot as a soft area around the white line. This is where the cavity is being filled in with crumbling weak horn.

Poor foot care is the most common cause, often when hoof wall is allowed to grow too long. It may also occur as a result of the growth rate of new horn slows down in the aging horse. It also commonly occurs with chronic laminitis. Veterinary advice should be sought on the treatment of this condition to avoid secondary infections and the development of abcesses in the foot.

Many cases of Seedy Toe can be avoided with proper care. Horses should be kept on clean, dry footing. and their feet should be picked out on a regular basis - at least once, but preferably twice a day. Hooves should be trimmed or shod regularly by a competent farrier.