November 2004

White-Line Disease Causes Crumbling

A wide, empty white line may not truly be diseased.

It’s the manure and bacteria, not the mud, that predisposes horses to white-line disease.

White-line disease refers to a condition where the white line crumbles and leaves an empty gap in the white line. However, many horsemen remain confused over what truly constitutes a white-line problem that requires treatment and what factors are involved as causes versus consequences.

Real White-Line Disease

When most people talk about white-line disease they’re referring to an infection in the tissues of the white line that travels up the hoof wall, toward the coronary band. However, the fact the white line appears “empty” at ground surface doesn’t necessarily mean the horse has true white-line disease. When the toe is too long, especially in unshod horses, the white line is stretched each…