01/13/2023
Great information about managing laminitic horses by Alicia Harlov. The hoof care is important, of course, but you won’t see true improvement without addressing the cause.
If you haven’t already, check out Alicia’s podcast The Humble Hoof!
Okay, I guess I'll go on a soapbox roll.
Unpopular opinion: if your horse's current living situation isn't able to control laminitic issues, you might have to move the horse in order to save their life.
Up to 90% percent of laminitis is endocrinopathic - which means it is metabolic in nature, highly affected by hormones, diet and exercise (or lack thereof). This means that nearly every laminitic case needs strict guidelines in regards to diet and turn out environment. It can mean the difference between lame and sound, or even life or death.
The management for a metabolic laminitis case should look something like this, especially if there is any sign of pain:
✳️Remove all grain from the diet
✳️Remove access to grass pasture/fresh grass or even weeds
✳️Remove alfalfa - unless the horse is sound and deemed to be not affected by it
✳️Ensure hay is safe - either by testing it or soaking it
✳️Add in safe calories as needed (unmolassed beet pulp, forage cubes like Triple Crown Timothy Balance Cubes, flaxseed, etc)
✳️Feed essential vitamins and minerals in a metabolically safe carrier
✳️ Involve the vet to pull bloodwork and prescribe medication as needed to control ACTH levels or refractory high insulin
I can't tell you how many times I hear from owners of laminitic horses, whether in person or online, that they "just can't" restrict their grass access, or "but the grain says it's low sugar and starch" (spoiler alert: it probably isn't), or "but it's only a little bit of (XYZ)."...
Side note - when it comes to the barns that say "but there's really no grass out there!" my response now is, "If there weren't any horses in the paddock, would there be any grass? If the answer is yes, then the grass is being eaten... Imagine what the grass would look like without horses on it, and that's roughly how much they are eating."
I get it. It's hard to deny your horse something they love. But we are our horses' advocates, and just like a parent to a child, we have to decide what is best for their health and long term quality of life.
I am not writing this post to make anyone feel bad. I just see so many stuck in a cycle of laminitic setbacks, and sometimes a little push is needed.
Metabolic horses take extra special attention and care, and finding the right situation for them can mean the difference between watching them in pain, and watching them thrive for years to come.
