How to watch your horse’s waistline and avoid laminitis
11:01am Thursday 17th April 2008
WITH spring upon us it is an important time to keep an eye on horses’ waistlines to ensure they don’t become one of the 80% of preventable cases of laminitis which occur each year, according to the Laminitis Clinic.
Although obesity isn’t the only cause of laminitis, it is the most common at this time of year, particularly in native types and ponies. A weight tape is an ideal investment with regular weighing maybe once a week, as often it is difficult to notice weight changes, when you see a horse each day, until it is too late.
Information from the British Horse Society states: “Fat animals at anytime of the year fall into a high-risk category for developing laminitis; fat animals heading towards spring are walking a very fine tightrope.” A good indication on whether a horse needs to have grazing restricted is the crest of its neck. This should be soft. If it is hard, expert advice is to take steps to reduce grazing such as strip grazing, using cattle or sheep to graze the field first or using a grazing muzzle. Restricting turnout alone, such as stabling the horse during the day and turning out at night, may not be enough as a horse can eat a huge amount during those 12 hours of turnout.
Signs to watch out for including reluctance to move, a more obvious digital pulse felt in the fetlock, lameness, stiffness, foot sore, restlessness, sweating and blowing or pus in the foot.
If any of these signs are present, the BHS says the situation should be treated as an emergency with immediate vet attention to help prevent the cascade of metabolic events which can result in the horse’s foot literally dropping off. Even for those horses treated quickly enough, the animal may face a long and painful period of rehabilitation and may be prone to further episodes.
If laminitis is suspected, the horse or pony should be removed from grazing and confined to a deeply bedded stable. Make sure his diet is high in fibre and low in sugar, starch and cereal mixes. Do not starve a pony or horse which is overweight. This can cause other potentially serious conditions.