What is defined as an inflammation of the inner hoof wall?

The correct choice refers to laminitis, which is a serious condition characterized by the inflammation of the inner hoof wall. This inflammation leads to significant pain and can disrupt the bonding between the hoof wall and the underlying structures, potentially resulting in laminar separation. Understanding laminitis is crucial, as it can severely affect a horse's ability to bear weight and may lead to long-term complications, including founder, which is a more severe manifestation of the condition.

In the context of the other terms:

• Thrush is a bacterial infection that typically affects the frog of the hoof, not the inner hoof wall.

• Founder is often used interchangeably with laminitis but specifically refers to the resulting changes and complications associated with severe cases of laminitis, particularly the sinking or rotation of the coffin bone within the hoof.

• An abscess involves the formation of pus within the hoof, often due to infection or injury, and does not denote inflammation of the hoof wall itself.

Therefore, laminitis is the precise term needed to describe the inflammation of the inner hoof wall, making it the correct answer.