Be Prepared And Prevent Laminitis This Autumn

Laminitis doesn’t just happen in the spring. The autumn is also a danger time for this debilitating condition, which can affect any type of horse or pony. SPILLERS® has put together some practical management tips to help reduce your horse or pony’s risk of laminitis and is also offering £2 off their Laminitis Trust approved SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF® to help you keep your horse safe. Clare Barfoot RNutr and the research and development manager at SPILLERS® advises: “The key to preventing laminitis it is to recognise the warning signs such as a cresty neck, sore feet or a change in hoof shape. All these are indicators that all is not well but you still have a chance to take preventative action; waiting until it happens could prove disastrous for your horse.” The following tips should help you to keep your horse or pony healthy this autumn:

• Review your horse’s diet Whether your horse is prone to laminitis or not it pays to be aware of how his diet may affect his risk of developing it. Look for low starch, high fibre feeds such as chopped fibre feeds approved by The Laminitis Trust or feed a low calorie balancer to balance the nutrients in a forage-based diet without providing high levels of energy or starch.
• Don’t turn out in frosty bright conditions Recent research has shown that an overload of fructan, which is the stored energy source in grass, may induce laminitis. Sugar is produced by the grass during photosynthesis, however if it is too cold for the sugar to be used as fuel for growth it is converted to fructan.
• Monitor your horse’s weight Learn to condition score, use a weigh tape or take your horse to a weigh bridge regularly so that you can keep a watchful eye on his shape.
• Increase the workload Sometimes we’re not keen to ride in the cold and rain but keeping your horse or pony active could be a life saver not only by helping to reduce his weight but also by reducing the risk of him developing insulin resistance which can predispose him to laminitis. If you can’t always ride try loose schooling, lungeing, leading off another horse, using a horse walker or by simply turning him out in a field with more active horses –anything that will help burn up the calories!
• Analyse your forage Hay and haylage can be deceptively calorific and contain high levels of water soluble carbohydrate (sugar+fructan). The only way to really tell how many calories and sugar your forage is providing is to have it analysed (most feed companies offer this service).
• Manage pasture Restrict grazing during the autumn by using a bare paddock previously grazed by sheep or other horses or by strip grazing. Alternatively use a manège or dry lot for turn out. Another option is a grazing muzzle but remember to give your horse or pony time to get used to it first.
• Take advantage of a great offer on SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF® You can save £2 on every bag of SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF® from mid September while stocks last. Look out for the special flash packs in your local store. For friendly feeding advice on how to keep your horse or pony safe from laminitis please telephone the SPILLERS® Care-Line on + 44 (0)1908 226626, email to [email protected] or visit the SPILLERS® website at www.spillers-feeds.com. You can also join Team SPILLERS® on Facebook.

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