Preventing laminitis in horses and ponies

Preventing laminitis, the curse of native breeds.

What is laminitis? The suffix ‘itis’ means inflammation and laminitis is the painful inflammation of the laminae in a horse’s hoof. This can be caused by a number of different conditions but the common one is grass induced and often affects native breeds of horses and ponies which are genetically programmed to live in areas of poor grassland, such as the Connemara, Irish Draught, Shetland and native moorland ponies. Overweight animals and ‘good doers’ will often suffer from laminitis.

Watch out for sudden grass growth – Once a horse has been diagnosed with laminitis, he will always be prone to it. As soon as grass starts to grow reduce the horse’s grazing hours. A sand arena is useful for a horse recovering from laminitis as he can walk about to improve circulation and the sand is soft under his feet. Use small paddocks and sand arena for turn out.

Use low protein feeds – Feed plenty of fibre, such as hay, in a net which will take longer to eat and help prevent boredom. Feed a low protein, low carbohydrate, low sugar diet such as beet pulp, oats, low protein coarse mix and up to one cup of vegetable oil a day which helps keep on weight. There are several good fibre chops available on the market and some feeds especially for laminitis prone horses. Oil pellets are expensive but an easy way to add extra oil to the diet.

Exercise is important – but only after they have become sound again. Some owners let their animals out on grass with a muzzle to prevent too much grazing so that they will get exercise but you can use small paddocks and a sand arena. Never risk putting laminitis prone horses and ponies on a large field full of grass. Never put small ponies on rich grass, even if they’ve never had laminitis. Animals can be lunged or loose lunged to keep them working if they can’t be ridden.

Always keep a look out for the first signs of laminitis – If a laminitis prone horse or pony looks any way stiff or is lying down for longer periods, bring him into a stable immediately and reduce feed until he moves freely again. You will save him a lot of pain and misery if you act quickly.

Tips from other owners on how to keep laminitis away

Try to avoid feeding hard food like competition mixes or sugary mixes. Just keep on hay and, if on grass, use a muzzle. The sugar is in the grass first thing in the morning so avoid her being out then. Restrict grazing to 4 or 5 hours a day.

Cut the feed down and give more exercise for the horse to burn off the sugar and in spring time turnout 10 till 2 as the grass is not at its high sugar level.

Dengie Hi Fi Lite is a good feed which you could feed if keeping horse off the grass. It’s made from chopped straw. Put it with some low energy nuts. It makes them feel full but doesn’t give them the sugar to make laminitis worse.

My farrier told me to keep my daughter’s pony in the yard and give him hay. Keep him out of the field so I give him a pick of grass now and then. If it flairs up again it’s hard to get feet right after it and they’ll end up on painkillers if you want to ride them, so it’s better to avoid what causes it.

Happy Hoof feed is also good and the supplement Laminase works a treat!

Remedial shoeing can also help keep a horse sound with laminitis. DO NOT feed haylage and you need to soak hay to get rid of rich nutrients.

Don’t feed to much hay or grass and each day feel the top of the hoof, and see if it’s cold or warm or pick the horse’s hoof up and feel down the sides of the frog.

(Contributors: Poppy Louise Hall, Natalie Roper, Caroline Bermingham, Gabby Rose, Irene Melville, Annie Worsley, Emma Louise Standing, Ros Steward, Megan Rogers, Christie Perrin and Pamela Street.)