Laminitis in horses -

ideas for prevention and cure

Laminitis in horses (also know as horse founder) is becoming a very common condition these days, mostly due to the lush grazing that more and more horses and ponies are being grazed on.

Horses are foragers which means that their digestive systems are designed to cope with a continuous supply of small amounts of roughage at a time. Wild horses have to travel great distances to get enough food to keep them alive as most wild grasses are low in nutrients. In comparison domestic horses are given huge amounts of high nutrient value grasses as more and more fertilisers are used. This means that the horse has to move very little and consumes more sugars than it's body can handle which is the main cause of laminitis in horses.

Also many stable kept horses are given large amount of grain in one feeding and then left for many hours with nothing in their stomachs. This is also very disruptive to the digestive system and can contribute to laminitis.

Definition of Laminitis in horses

Laminitis in horses is referred to as acute when it is in the early stages and chronic when it has been present for a long time.

Healthy hoof with tight white line

Laminitis in Horses - Hoof with stretched white line

Side view showing a tight white line

Laminitis in Horses - Side view showing a stretched white line

Symptoms of Laminitis in Horses

• Less activity and a reluctance to move when led
• Lying down more than is normal
• Depression
• Reluctance to turn
• Standing a typical laminitic stance - hind feet further under the body with weight rocked back and front feet further in front of the body
• Tight muscles
• Hooves warmer than normal
• 'Bounding' pulses in affected legs
• Pain response when pressure is applied to sole
• Blood in the white line
• Growth rings on hoof wall

Prevention

If grass is the trigger then there are ways that you can limit it:

• Create a dry lot (with little or no grass) and feed grass hay instead
• Buy a grazing muzzle which still allows the horse to graze and be with it's herd but limits how much is consumed
• Create a track around your field so that the horses have to move more

If grain is the trigger:

• Stop feeding grain - switch to unmolassed sugarbeet if your horse needs more than just grass or grass hay
• If you really feel that your horse can't go without grain, then feed it in smaller quantities more often, rather than one big feed

If the trigger is mechanical:

• Make sure your horse's feet are trimmed correctly - high heels and long toes are often major triggers for mechanical laminitis
• Ensure that you condition your horse properly. Start slowly so that you allow the muscles and tendons time to strengthen before doing strenuous exercise

Other ways to help:

• Movement is important to a horse prone to laminitis as it increases blood circulation which in turn flushes out the harmful toxins
• Horses and ponies who are insulin resistant (IR) may benefit from a 1 tsp of cinnamon (which acts in a similar way to insulin) a day which is proving effective in animals with this condition.
• Another herb that is helpful in improving circulation is Jiaogulan (gynostemma pentaphylla)
• If your horse or pony has a cresty neck or fatty deposits it may have a magnesium deficiency so add a magnesium supplement to its food to rectify this.

Laminitis in Horses - Road to Recovery

Often when separation occurs the toes become too long which puts even more strain on the already weak laminar connection. Long toes delay breakover (the point at which the hoof leaves the ground) which in turn rips the wall further away from the coffin bone - compare it to when your nail is bent back and pulled away from the nail bed and imagine how painful it is to the horse who has to also bear weight on it. It is therefore very important to bring the toes back to the correct location to relieve the strain.

High heels also add to the problem as they increase the mechanical stress on the laminar connection. They prevent the frog from being weightbearing which means that the hoof wall has to take even more weight.

To make the horse more comfortable, pads or boots may be used. However, bear in mind that the coffin bone needs to stay close to ground parallel (0-5° depending on the trim method used) so the pads should not raise the heels. Rubber mats are also very useful as they have some give to them. Avoid deep straw or shavings beds as these allow the toe to sink (effectively raising the heels) which in turn puts pressure on the lamellae.

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