Posted: 1st March 2019 | Back to news feed
With spring just around the corner Dengie has issued some helpful advice to horse owners on the best practise to help reduce the risk of laminitis.
Once thought of as a disease in its own right, laminitis is now better described as a symptom of another underlying health problem such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) or PPID previously known as Cushing’s Syndrome – both of which are associated with insulin dysregulation.
Whilst we don’t know everything about these conditions, there is a common theme for how to manage them…
Keep weight under control
Whilst not all overweight horses and ponies will go on to develop laminitis, there is a link between obesity, insulin dysregulation and the incidence of laminitis.
Manage NSC intake
Non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) is an analytical term and is the sum of water-soluble carbohydrates and starch added together. Choose a low sugar and starch feed and regulate amounts fed if necessary.
Pasture
Environmental conditions and time of day all influence the NSC content of pasture. Overweight animals should be turned out on a no grass area with forage fed at a rate of 1.5% of bodyweight e.g. 9kg for a 600kg horse on a dry matter basis. Turnout on grass can be gradually introduced once weight is under control.
Hay
Not all hays are the same and nutritional quality varies. Ideally purchase hay that supplies less than 12% NSC on a dry matter basis. When it comes to NSC content, testing is the only way to know how much the hay contains.
Feeding
Choose low sugar and starch feeds to maintain normal metabolic function. Dengie fibre feeds contain only 2% starch or less – which is truly low! Ensure his diet is balanced – add a low-calorie balancer or broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement.
Dengie is here to help - Healthy Hooves Molasses Free, Alfa-A Molasses Free, Hi-Fi Molasses Free and Hi-Fi Lite have all been independently tested and approved by The Laminitis Trust.
For help and advice on all aspects of feeding call the Dengie Feedline: 0845 345 5115* or visit the website for further information: www.dengie.com
*Call charges apply see website for details
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