Watch Out - Spring Laminitis is About!

After a wet Winter, followed by some sunshine, the Spring grass is really starting to come through. Over the next few weeks, as the temperatures rise and the rain continues falling, we are likely to see a sudden rush of spring grass which could be disastrous for horses and ponies at risk of Laminitis.

Laminitis is a serious hoof disease, causing changes in the hoof anatomy which can have long term and crippling effects on the horse’s function, and is known as one of the biggest causes of death in horses. The condition affects the horse’s laminae (the soft tissue which connects the hoof wall to the pedal bone) and can cause a significant amount of pain and resulting lameness.

There are some obvious signs your horse may be suffering from Laminitis, and the earlier these are caught the less damage is likely to have been done in the hoof structure. If your horse is displaying these symptoms, contact your vet, or farrier, to investigate immediately. The likely first step will be box rest on a comfortable and supportive bedding. 

 Stance – a Laminitic horse will find it comfortable to stand with their weight shifted to the hind legs with their front legs stretched out in front of them.

 Rocking – you may see your horse shift weight from foot to foot, or rock back and forth in their stable or paddock.

Walking – when walking, they may walk gingerly, slowly or tentatively and feel more comfortable on grass or a soft surface.

Turning – the horse may struggle to turn in a circle when walking in hand.

Lying down – a horse with sore feet is likely to spend more time lying down to ease the pressure on their feet.

Pulse – a horse with Laminitis may have a strong digital pulse and/or excessive heat in the hoof – these are very important signs to look out for.

Condition– Keep an eye on your horse’s weight and regularly record their weight with a weight-tape, an obese horse is more likely to be at risk of Laminitis than one of a healthy weight. Don’t be tempted to over-rug and allow them to use their own body fat to keep themselves warm.

Exercise – keep your horse physically active to keep the weight off them.

 Restrict pasture access - either by strip grazing, using a less-lush field, or limiting the amount of time the horse is in the paddock

 Analyse hay & grass– get your grass and hay analysed to check their NSC (non-structural carbohydrate) content.

 Soak hay – soaking hay in clean water and rinsing it after will go a long way in reducing your horse’s sugar intake. It’s important to maintain your horse’s fibre intake even if suffering from Laminitis, so soaking your hay and putting it inside a slow-feeder hay net will help to prolong their hay ration.

 Cut hard feed & balance their diet -limiting starch, sugar and calories in your horse's diet will help control their weight, however a forage-only diet is unlikely to provide the vitamins and minerals your horse needs, so consider adding either a low-intake Balancer, or feed a vitamin & mineral supplement.

Use a grazing muzzle – a muzzle to slow down your horse’s grass intake can be beneficial when on grass, even if only used for short periods of time