Help protect your horse from laminitis with Spiller s’ advice
The team at Spillers helps you put some essential plans in place to help protect your horse from laminitis
WITH SPRING JUST around the corner we’re all looking forward to our horses spending more time out in the field and the return of green paddocks. However, as the grass starts to grow, it’s essential to be mindful of the risk of laminitis. With this in mind Spillers has put together eight top tips to help you keep your horse or pony safe this spring.
Act sooner rather than later
The grass starts to grow actively when the soil temperature consistently reaches 5C and can be very calorific. For every kilogram (dry weight) eaten, your horse could be consuming up to 500g of water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) which may include up to 75g of sugar. Studies have shown that ponies turned out un-muzzled can consume up to 5% of their own bodyweight in grass. If the same applies to a 500kg horse, this would equate to 1.9kg of sugar or 12.5kg of WSC per day from grass alone.
Slim your horse down now
If your horse or pony is overweight use what’s left of the colder weather to instigate a slimming programme. Reduce feed or change to a lower-calorie alternative and switch to a lower-energy forage. Soaking hay for at least three hours will reduce the WSC level, although it’s still advisable to have it analysed.
Use fewer rugs
Fewer rugs or none at all will help your horse to burn off a few extra pounds keeping warm.
Restrict time out at pasture
Consider turning your horse out at night when the grass will contain less fructan (storage form of sugar). Install a strip grazing system to restrict the amount of grass your horse has access to in one go.
Try a grazing muzzle
A grazing muzzle can reduce grass intake by up to 80% but it must be properly fitted and make sure he can drink while he’s wearing it. Also, give your horse time to get used to wearing it before leaving it on for longer periods and it shouldn’t be left for 24 hours a day.
Feed an alternative safe source of forage
For horses and ponies at very high risk of laminitis consider removing them from pasture altogether and feeding them a suitable forage/short-chopped fibre, preferably one that has been approved by The Laminitis Trust.
Beware of late frosts
On sunny, frosty mornings, fructan can accumulate to high levels and this may trigger the cascade of events that can lead to laminitis.
Up the exercise
Regular exercise will help keep your horse’s waistline in check and support a healthy metabolism.
COMMITTED TO RESEARCH
SPILLERS®, through its collaborative work with the WALTHAM® International Laminitis and Obesity Research Consortia, is conducting important research into many of the areas that are thought to be involved in the development of laminitis. Some of the recent projects include two studies conducted in collaboration with the WALTHAM® Equine Studies Group. The first, carried out by Nanna Luthersson and colleagues, evaluated the laminitis risk factors in a group of Danish horses and ponies. It confirmed that cold-blooded type animals under 149cm [15.2hh] in height, such as certain native ponies, as well as those kept on high-quality pasture, were at an increased risk of developing laminitis for the first time. It also highlighted the key role that a change in grass intake, in terms of both type and amount, may play at any time of the year, not just in the spring. At the other end of the research pipeline is understanding how horse owners apply knowledge gained from scientific research. This question has triggered a new study, supported by SPILLERS®, in collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College, which aims to shed light on UK horse owners’ understanding of laminitis and whether or how this may influence their horse management practices. Ultimately the outcome should help define the most effective ways to convey evidence-based science to owners in order to improve health and welfare.
Feeds to help
All this research and knowledge places SPILLERS® in a unique position in developing products that are suitable for horses and ponies prone to laminitis; in fact SPILLERS® HAPPY HOOF® has been successfully used in many research trials. Low in sugar and starch, SPILLERS® HAPPY HOOF® is a low-calorie, shortchopped blend of straw, alfalfa, grass, garlic and rapeseed oil with the vitamins and minerals needed for good health, plus biotin for healthy hoof growth. If you’re concerned about molasses, then SPILLERS® HAPPY HOOF® Molasses-Free is a low-calorie fibre blend with garlic and rapeseed oil and no added sugar, making the product only 2% sugar. It also contains a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals and biotin to support healthy hoof growth. Both feeds are approved by The Laminitis Trust and can be used as a partial or full hay replacer.