The best way to deal with laminitis is preventing the causes under your control.
Avoiding laminitis in pasture.
There are several steps owners can take to avoid pasture associated laminitis in the spring.
Avoid grazing pastures with a lot of seed heads.
Spring is the peak time for grass associated laminitis in most parts of the world.
However sugar glucose and fructan content can fluctuate throughout the day and over several days.
Make all dietary changes slowly.
If your horse has been on a specific type of hay or other forage over the past few months do not suddenly turn it out on pasture for the bulk of every day.
Therefore we must carefully manage pasture turnout and.
Use grazing muzzles or turn out horses on dry lots.
Managing pastures seek veterinarian approval before grazing horses prone to or with previous episodes of laminitis.
Restrict pasture intake during spring or anytime the pasture suddenly greens up.
Limit pasture intake particularly when sugar content is expected to be high and prevent manage insulin resistance.
Avoid grazing lush pastures especially between late morning and late afternoon hours since plant sugars are the highest during these times.
First what it s not there is zero evidence to support the idea that naturally occurring spring pasture laminitis is related to fructan and hind gut.
Theoretically at least every horse is at risk of developing laminitis if he gorges himself on enough young pasture grass in a short enough period of time to result in severe gut upset.
The only way to truly know the sugar content of your pasture is to have it tested.
There are several steps owners can take to avoid pasture associated laminitis in the spring.
Avoid grazing for all horses at risk of laminitis.
Make dietary changes slowly.
Research has shown that pasture induced laminitis occurs at times of rapid grass growth.
The lower part of a plant may contain the highest amount of sugar.
If you have a sensitive horse you must manage pastures carefully.
The accumulation of certain carbohydrates including fructans starches and sugars non structural carbohydrates nsc in pasture forage during the spring early summer and fall particularly after rainfall precipitate this laminitis.
If your horse has been on a specific type of hay or other forage over the past few months do not suddenly turn it out on pasture for the bulk of every day.
As your horse pastures spring back to life it may be wise to consider limiting your horse s pasture grazing time.
In a 2016 study menzies gow et al followed 446 animals on pasture over a period of three years.
So prevention of laminitis is two fold.
There was no increase of fructan in the pasture when laminitis cases appeared nor no indication of diarrhea or hindgut upset.
Laminitis grazing management can help you to do this.
