Treating and Preventing Equine Laminitis

Equine laminitis is a debilitating condition that affects horses worldwide. This disease demands vigilant control and effective treatment to ensure the well-being of our equine companions. Now that we understand the causes and processes involved in laminitis we are better equipped to understand and adapt our management measures.

In this post we will describe the basic management techniques we can implement to more effectively control laminitis, as well as the most common treatments for an acute crisis.

It is our goal that after this post you are able to adapt these measures and develop a precise and well-thought plan for your particular situation.

Basic control and management of laminitis

The first thing that is important for us to understand is that timely intervention is crucial to mitigate the effects of laminitis and prevent long-term damage. An effective basic control and management of a laminitic horse should include prevention of stressful situations, dietary management, evaluation of potential supplementation and exercise regulation.

Prevention of potentially stressful situations

The potential stress factors that should be prevented on a day-to-day basis include:

• The presence of pain and discomfort

• Food or water deprivation

• Living conditions like small spaces, little illumination, not enough bedding…

• Transportation

• Social stress

Dietary management

The determination of the dietary needs of a horse is not simple and we should consider several factors like body condition, physical and metabolic activity and the genetic profile (easy keepers). Therefore, you should consult with your vet your feeding plan and any alterations you want to make.

The dietary management of a laminitic horse includes a controlled diet low in non-structural carbohydrates to prevent metabolic triggers and reduce insulin resistance. These non-structural carbohydrates include simple sugars, highly digestible starches and frutans, and are usually present in cereals and legume rich pastures.

In general, a diet for a laminitic horse should be:

• Basis:  Hay

  • High-quality hay with a constitution of less than 10% non-structural carbohydrates

  • Hay should be given freely to reduce stress from food restriction.

• Supplementation:

  • Supplemented the diet to guarantee that your horse consumes the right amount of minerals and essential nutrients and vitamins.

  • You can use minimal quantities of commercial feeds designed for this purpose or discuss with your vet other options of supplementation.

Other supplementation options include:

• Methionine and biotin supplements to improve the quality and growth rate of the hoof.

• Magnesium sulphate, especially in horses with a previous high energy diet to equilibrate the colon pH and prevent acute episodes due to carbohydrates overload.

• Omega 3 to improve the horse’ general health and improve tissue regeneration.

Exercise regulation

The amount of exercise recommended varies with the phase of the disease and the state of the animal itself. When the laminitis is in acute phase, it might be necessary to restrict the movement completely, however once the animal is more comfortable controlled exercise is advisable to prevent further damage while promoting circulation and healing.

Acute phase:

• Reduce movement by confining the animal to preserve the hoof integrity.

• Whether in a box or in a small paddock, the animals should have a soft bed to minimize aggression to the hoof and promote rest.

Controlled disease:

• Once the disease is stable, horses will greatly benefit from controlled exercise, as long as they are comfortable.

• Exercise plan that include as little as 30min of daily trot are enough to almost immediately increase insulin sensitivity, even if you don’t see any changes in the horses weight.

• Exercise can be freely, in a large paddock, as long as it doesn’t have any grass to eat. However, in the beginning you should pay attention because if the horse is too long standing and not moving, this can worsen the condition of the hoof.

• Consult with your vet to develop an appropriate working plan for your laminitic horse, a plan that can be adapted as you move forward.

This horse does NOT have laminitis, this is an example of the exercise you can do

Supportive Hoof Care

Once the laminitis reaches a chronic and controlled state, supportive hoof care measures can be implemented. These measures should be done by a farrier and include specialized corrective trimming and shoeing to relieve pressure from the toe and slowly promote proper alignment.

Corrective trimming consists mostly in rounding of the toe of the hoof to facilitate the exit of the hoof from the ground and reduce the tension on the dorsal hoof wall and flexor tendons, directing the weight to the heels.

There are a lot of options for therapeutic shoeing. Our advice is: go with the one your farrier tells you, even if you see another more modern or cool option on the internet. This will be the one he is more used to work with and the results will be better.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy has been showing extremely good results not only in the treatment of acute laminitis, but also in its prevention. This can be done very easily with a bucket with ice and should be started as soon as the process begins and can continue ad eternum. However, for it to be effective it should be done continuously, once is not enough.

Medical Therapy

Medical therapy can be given to reduce pain and laminar damage, improve hoof blood dynamics and prevent the movement of the third phalange. The treatment plans should be started as soon as possible and be planned according to the cause of the laminitis. These plans should be made by a veterinarian and can include anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, vasodilators, anticoagulant, hormonal treatments, and the list goes on. HOWEVER, it is very important to understand that there is no one plan fits all and you should really consult with your vet.

Preventing Equine Laminitis

Prevention is always better than cure and it also costs less. So, to reduce the risk of laminitis you can implement the following strategies:

• Balanced Diet: Provide a well-balanced diet with controlled access to pasture and concentrates. This is the most important part of laminitis prevention.

• Maintain Healthy Weight: Monitor your horse's body condition and prevent obesity through proper diet and exercise.

• Regular Exercise: Incorporate regular, moderate exercise to promote circulation and overall health.

• Routine Hoof Care: Schedule regular farrier visits and maintain proper hoof hygiene.

• Monitor High-Risk Horses: Be vigilant with horses predisposed to metabolic disorders or those recovering from previous bouts of laminitis.

At the end of this post we would like to leave a personal note. Dealing with equine laminitis is not easy and it can be expensive, exhausting and mentally straining. So, our advice is: Maintain a good relation with your vet and farrier, build yourself a good support group and everything will be easier. Also, we are here for you, so any questions you might have, just ask!

See you next week,

Isabel & Stephan