If you try to dodge the permit requirement, you will be not be able to legally sell your property in the future without the town’s consent and issuance of a certificate of compliance. There will likely be expensive penalties involved even if the construction is latently approved, and the town can require that the building be entirely removed.

As with most lameness, the lameness from navicular syndrome is most noticeable at the trot, resulting in a head-bob. Affected horses often have a short, choppy trot and canter, and tend to hold their neck and poll rigid. The gradual onset of lameness in both forefeet can mislead riders into thinking that “this is just the way the horse travels.”

Carrying excess weight places increased stress on the skeletal system of the horse, can limit reproductive performance, adversely affect athletic performance, and may lead to an increased risk of laminitis, osteoarthritis, heat intolerance and certain types of colic.

Hemp seeds are the most nutritious part of the plant used as food. They contain about 20 percent protein, six percent carbohydrates and about 73 percent healthy fats. They also have significant amounts of calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and vitamins A and E.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) uses a small dose of radioactivity to detect changes in bone or soft tissue at the microscopic level. Using a ring of detectors, it acquires data in three dimensions, allowing for precise detection of subtle changes, which can be early signs of compromised structures. PET can also distinguish between active and inactive lesions, which can help pinpoint areas of concern.

You have to remember that grass is over 70% water, while hay is typically around 10% and a much more concentrated calorie source than pasture. They have to spend that much time eating native pasture to get enough calories.

Take the Senior Horse Challenge quiz to test your knowledge on issues related to the health and management of senior horses. Then, try out the Click and Reveal Activity and see if you can pick out which horses have Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), a condition that can affect 15-30% of senior horses. Finally, check out the lists of additional resources that feature links to helpful videos and fact sheets on senior horse issues, like nutrition and PPID.

If you ask me which is more difficult for an owner to get right, I’d say the trim. If you ask a talented hoof professional, they would usually say diet. It’s actually a trick question. Both are critical, and one can’t produce a healthy hoof without the other.