| Springtime. A collective sigh of relief goes up around | | | | grasses. |
| the country as horses can spend more time turned | | | | Some horses and ponies are more susceptible than |
| out. But beware. With the surge of grass growth | | | | others to the condition. One pony may be able to |
| comes an increased risk of laminitis. | | | | gorge himself without developing lamintis; another may |
| Acute laminitis should be treated as an emergency. | | | | go down with the disease at the first taste of grass. |
| Within only a few hours the disease can cause | | | | Recent research has found a way of identifying those |
| permanent damage to the feet. So, if you think your | | | | ponies that are likely to develop laminitis. All that is |
| pony has laminitis, ring the vet straight away. The | | | | needed is the pony's condition score, and a simple |
| sooner treatment can be started, the better the | | | | blood sample. Ask your vet for details (or see There is |
| chance of limiting the damage. | | | | also some convincing evidence that ponies with |
| What are the signs of acute laminitis? Often the first | | | | laminitis are more likely to come from mares that have |
| indication is that the pony spends more time standing | | | | themselves had laminitis. |
| still in the field. He is reluctant to move, often leaning | | | | Identifying susceptible ponies allows them to be |
| backwards to take his weight of his front feet. | | | | managed with special care. This may reduce the risk |
| Obviously it is much better to prevent your pony | | | | of them developing laminitis. |
| getting laminitis in the first place. Recently the | | | | So what can you do to reduce the risk of laminitis? |
| mechanisms behind pasture -associated laminitis have | | | | - Restrict grazing in spring and autumn when the |
| become a little clearer. But the full story is still not | | | | fructan and water soluble carbohydrate levels are high. |
| completely understood. | | | | - Turn horses onto pasture late at night and bring them |
| The main culprits appear to be fructans, large | | | | in before mid-morning, so they are grazing when the |
| carbohydrate molecules used by the grass for storing | | | | fructan content is likely to be lowest. |
| energy. Horses can not digest fructans. So they pass | | | | - If you can, choose pasture that is regularly grazed or |
| into the hindgut unchanged, where they are rapidly | | | | cut (the grass stems tend to have high fructan |
| fermented by bacteria. The gut contents become | | | | content) and contains species such as timothy that |
| more acidic, disturbing the balance of bacteria and | | | | produce lower levels of fructans. |
| micro-organisms. | | | | - Don't use stubble grazing (i.e. after it has been cut for |
| Bacteria that can survive under the acidic conditions | | | | hay) - because the stems are likely to have a high |
| increase dramatically in number; those that cannot, die. | | | | fructan content. |
| Potent chemicals are released, which may trigger the | | | | - Don't turn horses onto pasture that has been |
| laminitis. | | | | exposed to frost and bright sunlight. (The sunlight |
| So, to reduce the risk of laminitis it is important to limit | | | | produces energy, which the grass cannot use for |
| the intake of fructans. The fructan content of the | | | | growth because of the cold, and so it is stored as |
| pasture is influenced by factors such as the amount of | | | | fructan). |
| sunlight, temperature and stage of growth. Fructans | | | | - Consider using a muzzle to prevent the pony eating |
| are found in significantly greater amounts in the stem | | | | too much. Or, if you really cannot control the grass |
| than in the leaves. The amount of fructans present in | | | | intake any other way, keep the pony in the stable and |
| the grass also varies during the day. Generally there is | | | | feed hay with a vitamin/mineral supplement. |
| less at night and early in the morning. | | | | Remember that it is so much better to take steps |
| Certain grasses, such as timothy, tend to have larger | | | | now to prevent laminitis occurring, than to have to treat |
| fructan molecules. These may be fermented more | | | | your horse or pony for this painful disease. |
| slowly in the hindgut and so may be safer than other | | | | |