Laminitis occurs when the laminae, a layer of tissue that bonds the hoof wall to the pedal bone, becomes inflamed. This causes severe pain as the hoof wall is rigid and doesn’t expand to accommodate the inflamed laminae. In very severe cases the laminae fails, allowing the pedal bone to rotate downward and even push through the sole of the foot.

Where do NSCs come from in the horse’s diet?

The majority of NSCs in the horse’s diet often comes from grazing and conserved forage, and so these will require managing to control the horse’s weight and NSC intake. When selecting conserved forage, it is recommended to analyse it. Selecting forages with less than 10-12% NSC is recommended for those prone to laminitis.

What about the bucket feed?

It is much easier to reduce the intake of sugar and starch in the bucket feed than in forage. For the overweight, laminitis-prone horse, there is little rationale to feed anything in the bucket feed other than a double handful or two of a fibre feed that is low in calories, sugar and starch, with a broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement or balancer to provide a balanced diet. Feeds that contain less than 10% sugar and starch added together will typically be suitable. Not all laminitis-prone individuals are overweight or in light work – using highly digestible fibre sources and added oil are the best way to supply energy without significantly increased levels of starch and sugar. An equine nutritionist will be able to provide further guidance on this, depending on the individual horse’s condition and level of work.

Advanced: Feeding the Laminitis Prone Horse or Pony

Test your Nutrition Knowledge!

It’s now time to put into practice what you have learnt about feeding the laminitis prone horse or pony. Answer all the questions below correctly to receive your Dengie Nutrition Certificate, plus you can earn FIV AMTRA Suitably Qualified Person (SQP) points. To ensure your points are awarded please make sure that you include your unique AMTRA number in the box provided with your details.

Feeding the Laminitis Prone Horse or Pony

Test your Nutrition Knowledge!

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