Horse and pony owners can help with laminitis

The owners of nativebred horses and ponies are being asked to complete an online questionnaire on how they manage their animals.

It is part of a project to find the causes of pasture-associated laminitis (PAL).

As part of a collaboration between SRUC, Waltham Petcare Science Institute and Aberdeen University’s Rowett Institute, PhD student Ashley Ward has already gathered some responses.

Survey results so far have highlighted regionspecific management practices owners employ to manage their ponies, and these could inform laminitis management in the future.

Ms Ward is looking for the owners of Northern European native-breed ponies aged four years and over, with no previous diagnosis of PPID (equine Cushing’s disease), to take part in the study.

Anyone interested in taking part, or who would like more information can contact Ms Ward at projectPAL@sruc.ac.uk or call 01224 711026. Alternatively, the survey can be completed at smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ ProjectPAL/

Picture: Kenny Elrick. Owners of native-bred horses and ponies are being asked to fill in a survey.