Five Top Tips to Reduce the Risk of Laminitis

Laminitis is widely recognised as one of the most crippling diseases to horses and ponies. Laminitis occurs as a result of inflammation of the sensitive layers (laminae) in the hoof. The laminae attach the pedal bone to the hoof wall and any inflammation causes pain and lameness. Traditionally considered a disease of fat ponies eating too much lush grass, it can actually affect any horse of any age, or breed at any time of the year and although predominantly a disease of the forefeet, it may affect one or all four hooves and can be triggered by a variety of metabolic or physical causes. Most horses and ponies recover from laminitis, but their recovery is highly variable and dependent on many factors. We’ve put together a list of our top tips for reducing the risk of laminitis:

• Maintain a healthy body weight

Overweight horses are at a greater risk of laminitis. A horse or pony with a healthy body weight shouldn’t have any fat deposits or a crest developing on the neck, and the ribs should be felt easily. Make body condition scoring a routine habit and regularly use a weigh tape to monitor any weight changes.

• Assess the diet

A diet low in sugar and starch is strongly recommended for horses and ponies prone to laminitis. Choose a bucket feed high in fibre, with a starch and sugar level under 10% such as Honeychop Lite & Healthy. If additional calories are required, oil is a safe choice for laminitics.

It is also important to consider forage and soaked hay is often recommended to reduce the non-structural carbohydrates. Good quality straw can also be mixed with hay as a high fibre, low sugar forage source. Be sure to feed no less than 1.5% of the horse or pony’s bodyweight in forage each day, even if they’re overweight.

• Restrict grazing

The rain, warm temperatures and (intermittent!) sunshine is causing rapid grass growth in the UK, although grass can be a danger all year round. High levels of fructan, a storage carbohydrate produced from excess sugar, poses a threat to laminitis prone horses and ponies. The fructan content varies according to light intensity, temperature and stage of growth and therefore turn out on sunny, frosty mornings should be avoided. Overnight turn out is recommended for those prone to laminitis.

If your horse or pony is overweight or a good doer, consider restricting grass intake by use of a grazing muzzle, strip grazing or a track system.

• Increase exercise

Exercise can help encourage weight loss and research has shown that exercise can improve insulin sensitivity too. If the horse or pony is unable to be ridden, try long reining or walking out in hand.

• Test for insulin resistance

Studies have shown that horses and ponies diagnosed with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) are at a much higher risk of developing laminitis. Native types are the most susceptible to EMS, but it can affect all breeds.
Equine Cushings Disease (PPID) is an endocrine disorder which occurs in 20% of horses and ponies over the age of 15 and similarly a common cause of laminitis.