Laminitis - Not just a spring fever
The winter brings wind, rain, mud and often a sense of relief for those owners with horses prone to laminitis. However now is not the time to throw caution to the wind, the winter weather can bring just as many challenges when managing the laminitic horse or pony.
Grass contains large amounts of sugars and fructans but the levels can differ hour upon hour depending on environmental conditions. On bright frosty mornings the fructan level will accumulate in grass due to the plant photosynthesising, (making sugar) but being unable to grow. This can result in very high levels of fructan being stored in the stem of the grass which if consumed in large quantities can flow into the hindgut where it will be fermented rapidly, increasing the risk of laminitis. As a heavy frost is very often linked with a bright sunny day, grazing on this type of pasture should be avoided for the known laminitic. Where possible turn out should be restricted until the frost has disappeared and the temperature has risen above 6°C.
Unfortunately, however this is not a clear cut situation therefore “if in doubt, don’t turn them out”. Prevention is better than cure, the only true way to reduce the risk is to restrict the amount of grass your horse can consume, grazing muzzles or turn out on wood chip paddocks are all useful management techniques.
This time of year also brings challenges to the cushingoid horse; between September and January all horses will have naturally higher levels of the hormone ACTH, which in conjunction with other factors can increase the risk of lamintis. As high levels of ACTH can be indicative of Cushing's Disease and are often used as a test for the disease, the naturally high levels seen in healthy horses can cause false positives. As this autumn/winter period is a high risk time, extra care may be necessary and diet control alone may not be enough, monitoring and consultation with your vet may be necessary.
If you would like more information on the correct ration to prevent laminitis over the winter please contact the SPILLERS® Care-line on 01908 226626 or careline@spillers-feeds.com
