I don't believe it has anything to do with constant pressure. Your theory suggests that the pressure stops the blood flow, which would cause a pressure buildup on the artery side of the system, with no new blood flowing to the tissue. This would cause the tissue to start dying due to the lack of oxgen. What happens when a horse is standing it the blood flowing, back up the leg, slows down due to the force of gravity, thus causing the blood to pool in the tissue. Thus causing the swelling we see in stall ridden horses. The samething happens to humans if the stand with out movement, if you add diabetes to the equation it worsens.

Movement helps because the consent constricting and un-constricting of the muscles helps move the blood out of the capillaries and back into the vessels on the way to the heart to be resupplied with oxygen. Since the horses hoof does not have very large muscles the compression that takes place with in the hoof durning movement is what moves the blood out of the hoof and back up the leg.

Actually I have seen no difference between those that have shoes and those that don't.

Gary, are you saying that it is the blood that pools in the legs and causes the swelling?:confused:

My dear Mother defied her Doctors orders on some Meds and she ended up in the hospital with conjestive heart failure, due to "Fluid" build up around her heart, her feet were also swelled up alot. After being on Lasix, she eventually peed all the excess fluid out of her system.

I learned somewhere along time ago that inside the horses feet were shunts that controled the bloodflow in the foot. When a rapid pulse rate happens the shunts would basicially shut off the free flow of oxygenated blood to the extremites? Now if I can only remember where I read that or heard it??

Laminitis and founder come to mind....

Since the hoof capsule is finite in its dimensions and the venous system of the hoof and limb is limited, at least to some degree, by the number of vessels and the size of those vessels, IMO based on my personal reading and conversations with others who are knowledgeable in this area, there is no mechanism to fully compensate for such an event. That said, there is some limited remedy available within the hoof capsule due to the fact that because of the complexity of the venous plexuses, some diffusion of high levels of pressure is possible.

Though not much in vogue anymore, drilling holes through the hoof capsule during episodes of severe laminitis/founder to release internal pressure has been a viable method for pressure relief/release. Analogously, when you have an injury to the nail bed of your fingers and/or toes that results in pressure caused by blood concentrating in the area of the injury, drilling or burning a hole through the nail will release that pressure and provide almost instantaneous relief.

Rick

. . . RBCs making a terminal visit to the outside world.

Michael,

Have you ever dissected a cadaver limb?

Michael,

Have you ever dissected a cadaver limb?

. . . but I think that the idea that the frog a sort of pump that really pumps blood to the heart is a bit too easy Or?

The digital cushion pushing on the lateral cartilages, the lateral cartilages as sponges filled with blood which returns to the heart when that sponge is squeezed.

???? Are you sure the C/L cartilages are filled with blood.

Whats that Tbloomer? Gosh no... not this week yet.