Equine laminitis is a common disease in which inflammation of the laminae of the hoof leads to severe pain. Research shows that as many as 85% of horses affected by laminitis also have underlying metabolic diseases such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS).
Laminitis is a serious disease that causes great suffering and in the worst cases leads to the horse having to be euthanized. It can affect any equine, but is most commonly seen in pony breeds. Symptoms appear when inflammation of the laminae of the hoof leads to pain and altered movement patterns.
Laminitis symptoms range from stiffness and short steps, particularly on hard ground, to the classic laminitic stance where the horse stands with its body weight shifted backwards, its front hooves placed in front of it and its hind legs tucked under it. In severe laminitis, the horse may be in so much pain that it becomes recumbent (lays down).
Some of the symptoms of laminitis to look out for include:
Early intervention is crucial to improve the horse’s prognosis for a full recovery.
There are ways to prevent and manage laminitis. These include:
Weight management
Overweight horses are more predisposed to laminitis, so it’s important to monitor your horse’s weight closely and notice if they have lost or gained weight and make changes to his exercise and diet as necessary. Weight-taping and fat scoring are good ways to monitor weight.
Natural weight loss
Using rugs to keep an overweight horse warm is counter-productive as it means they won’t use any excess energy to stay warm. Instead of unused calories being laid down as excess fat, the horse can use the calories to keep warm.
Restrict grass
Horse can consume a vast amount of calories when eating grass, especially lush grass, so restricting their grazing time using strip grazing track systems or grazing muzzles can help.
Slow down eating
Encouraging your horse to trickle-feed using small-holed haynets and hay balls can help to slow the consumption of food and prevent horses standing around feeling hungry.
Exercise plan
As long as your horse is sound and comfortable, one of the best ways to help manage their weight is to exercise them. A fit horse is a healthy one. If you’re trying to get weight off, an exercise plan will help to burn excess calories. If your horse is recovering from laminitis, speak to your vet and farrier for advice on when and how to introduce exercise.
Your vet will advise you on the best treatment for your horse. This can include:
X-rays may be necessary to assess how much the pedal bone has rotated, if at all. In cases where the bone has dropped through the sole, euthanasia may be the only option to prevent the horse from suffering.