Posted: 8th October 2019 | Back to news feed
Wet summers and milder winters mean that grass is growing for longer periods of time throughout the year. This growth into the autumn and early winter means that owners need to remain vigilant in weight management and be aware of the risks of late autumn laminitis.
What’s the best thing you can do to reduce the risk of your horse or pony getting laminitis?
Dengie, the UK’s favourite feed company advises keeping animals at a healthy weight is the simple answer. Clearly that is often easier said than done, but letting your horse or pony become overweight significantly increases the risk of them developing laminitis.
In nature the horse’s body condition changes with the seasons. At the end of summer animals are often looking well, but during the winter they tend to lose condition so that they come into the spring able to afford to put on a bit of weight without becoming unhealthily fat.It has recently been established that a consequence of being obese is higher levels of insulin circulating in the body. Research has shown that this can be sufficient to cause laminitis and is the reason why controlling a horse’s body weight is vital.
What causes insulin levels to rise?
The two key issues highlighted by researchers are PPID (formerly known as Cushing’s Syndrome) and EMS which is typically characterised by obesity. Both of these cause disruptions to the regulation of hormones in the body such as insulin. If your horse has PPID then it is still important to keep their weight down and not just rely on medication to manage their laminitis risk.
‘If your horse is carrying a little too much weight going into the winter months, try not to be tempted to over-feed and over-rug , especially if he’s a good-doer’ says Dengie nutritionist Katie Williams M.Sc (Dist) R Nutr ‘Feed low-calorie fibre feeds such as Dengie Hi-Fi Molasses Free or Hi-Fi Lite. Both of these products can also be used as total or partial hay replacers’.
Top Tips for keeping your horse at a healthy weight
- 1. Choose really low sugar and starch feeds to maintain normal metabolic function – some mixes and cubes will claim to be low in sugar and starch and they probably are relative to other cereal based feeds but they may still contain 12-20% starch. Dengie fibre feeds contain only 2% starch – which is truly low!
- 2. Monitor your horse’s weight – weigh tape and condition score regularly so you spot changes early. If you notice your horse’s weight going up, restrict grazing using a muzzle, bare paddock or track system.
- 3. Weigh the hay/haylage you are feeding – if you’re not sure how much your horse or pony should receive ask a nutritionist.
- 4. Soaking hay helps to reduce sugar content but doesn’t change the calorie content very much so consider getting it analysed to know exactly what your horse is consuming. Forages that contain grass varieties such as Timothy tend to be lower in energy and sugar than varieties such as rye grass.
- 5. Ensure his diet is balanced – add a low-calorie balancer or broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement. This is especially important when on a ‘diet’ or reduced rations as your horse will be getting less from his forage.
How to choose the right low calorie feed from the Dengie range for your horse:
|
Feed |
Ideal for: |
Key Benefits |
|
Healthy Hooves Molasses Free |
Convenient feeding – fully balanced so no need to add anything else if fed at the recommended amounts |
Includes biotin & is naturally abundant in calcium to promote healthy hooves |
|
Hi-Fi Lite |
Using as a hay replacer – contains just chopped fibre so provides more chew time than products containing pellets |
Contains less sugar than typical grass hays
|
|
Hi-Fi Molasses Free |
Any horse or pony that needs a low sugar and starch ration |
Includes real mint, fenugreek & alfalfa pellets for great palatability |
For help and advice on all aspects of feeding call the Dengie Feedline: 01621 841188 or visit www.dengie.com
The Equestrian Index newsfeed is compiled from articles submitted by advertising members and expresses the opinions of those members. Watsons Directories Ltd shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies or mis-statements therein.