Laminitis is often synonymous with spring and increased access to fresh grass . Lisa Elliott, MSc of Equine Nutrition Solutions explains what it is, how it occurs and how you can help reduce the risk through the right feed and nutrition.

Laminitis is an extremely painful condition of the equine hoof, which in its simplest sense is inflammation of the lamellae of the inner hoof wall. But laminitis isn’t a condition of the hoof as such, it’s more the result of a previous physiological event that is just expressed in the feet. The specific pathways that result in laminitis are complex and still not fully understood, but laminitis is normally either Sepsis Related (SRL) or Endocrinopathic  –  the most common cause of laminitis (>80%)  in the UK today:

Endocrinopathic Laminitis

Endocrinopathic laminitis describes the type of laminitis linked to metabolic (Equine Metabolic Syndrome/Insulin Dysregulation/Obesity) or hormonal (PPID) conditions. This type of laminitis can be strongly linked to obesity, which commonly leads to EMS and Insulin Dysregulation. However, not all horses with EMS and Insulin Dysregulation are overweight and many horses with EMS are genetically predisposed to this condition, regardless of their weight.  Horses with PPID (Cushing’s Disease) are also commonly affected with insulin dysregulation leading to an increased risk of endocrinopathic laminitis.  

The specific pathology of Endocrinopathic laminitis is not fully understood, but the laminitis itself is often the result of hyperinsulinaemia, which simply means there is too much insulin circulating in the blood.   When a horse consumes simple sugars like glucose and sucrose, insulin is released from the pancreas which stimulates the movement of these sugars from the blood into the cells. However, a horse with insulin dysregulation loses their sensitivity to insulin and becomes insulin ‘resistant’. This causes the production of more and more insulin, which then results in a state of Hyperinsulinaemia and potential laminitis.

Pasture Associated Laminitis (PAL) is a type of endocrinopathic laminitis associated with time spent on sugar rich pasture. PAL is the result of the consumption of higher levels of sugars from the grass and the horse’s response to them, especially those who are predisposed or already have EMS or PPID.  Exposure to higher levels of sugars will then invariably lead to hyperinsulinaemia and result in PAL.

Sepsis Related Laminitis

Sepsis related laminitis (SRL) can result from a horse consuming excessive levels of starch in cereals or fructans in grasses both of which are storage forms of sugar. Whilst horses generally won’t consume enough fructan to cause problems within a typical day, making the so-called ‘fructan theory’ of laminitis less likely, some research has shown that ponies can consume up to 5 percent of their body weight in grass dry matter (DM) per day. If that grass was higher in fructans, then a pony consuming 5% of their bodyweight could easily consume enough to pose a risk for potentially developing laminitis.  

Horses are unable to digest fructans with enzymes in their small intestine and have limited ability to digest starch. Excess starch and fructans will then pass into the hindgut for fermentation by hindgut microbes.  If the levels of starch or fructan are high, their fermentation will cause a significant drop in the hindgut PH and result in a state of acidosis. Hindgut acidosis will cause the death of certain microbes which release toxins when they die, inflammation and deceased permeability of the gut wall, allowing the passage of endotoxins and other harmful compounds into the bloodstream. The result of this is inflammation within the body and general signs of illness like diarrhoea, which eventually ends with laminitis.

Reducing the risk with Coligone

The good news is that managing the diet can help keep the potential risk of laminitis under control. Follow these essential tips to help your horse get the right nutrition to combat laminitis.

• Base the Diet on Low Sugar/Starch Forage

For most laminitic horses, turnout needs to be restricted but laminitics should also not be turned out on to ‘stressed’ pasture, for example, short stubbly grass. Plants produce sugars mainly during the day, so the best regime to avoid this is to turn the horse out from night to early morning, bringing them off the grass in the daytime when sugars are highest. Laminitic horses should never be starved whilst off grass but fed an alternative form of forage to keep their digestive system functioning well and if weight loss is needed, then forage can be reduced to a minimum of 1.5% bodyweight per day.

Forage should be low in sugar and starch so it’s good to have it analysed. A typical analysis will show WSC (water soluble carbohydrates or simple sugars + fructan), ESC (ethanol soluble carbohydrates or simple sugars – fructan) and starch. These analyses enable more specific nutritional management particularly if the laminitis is endocrinopathic, where the ESC levels are important. NSC (non-structural carbohydrates i.e. starch plus sugar) can be calculated from adding all 3 measurements together. The ideal NSC for forage fed to laminitics or to avoid laminitis is <10% but this can often be quite difficult to find so <12% is often a more realistic figure.

If the NSC of the forage is above 10-12%, soaking is often recommended to reduce sugars, but research has shown that it can be ineffective in reducing the WSC to a safe level for laminitics. Steaming hay has shown some reduction in WSC which could make it useful for a hay whose NSC is only just over the safe level (10-12%). Alternatively, feeding specifically produced low NSC (<10-12%) hay is an ideal solution for the laminitic horse or pony.

• Provide additional Fibre

High sugar and starch feeds should be avoided, instead feed a high fibre chaff, ideally <10% sugar and starch to carry supplements or balancers and to provide a small bucket feed if desired. Additionally, if your horse isn’t overweight, and needs additional energy for regular work, Coligone Fibre Cubes are low in starch and sugar and can provide a beneficial source of highly digestible fibre.

• Stabilise the Hindgut

Coligone liquid or powder can help If your horse or pony has been exposed to high levels of starch or fructans (from excessive grazing of fructan rich grass). With its unique ability to buffer acid, Coligone helps mitigate the effects of excess starch or fructan by helping to increase PH with the hindgut and therefore help reduce the potential for acidosis, sepsis-related illness and ultimately laminitis.

• Provide Essential Fatty Acids

Omega 3 fatty acids may provide beneficial anti-inflammatory effects to help with laminitis and improve insulin sensitivity.  Ex Selenium Oil is an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids, showing a similar fatty acid profile to grass which the laminitic horse or pony may be missing.

• Add Micronutrients

It is important to ensure laminitis prone horses and ponies are receiving a balanced diet with the correct levels of micronutrients. Antioxidants such as Vitamin E are beneficial to help prevent further damage and assist recovery from laminitis, and magnesium for example, is essential for insulin sensitivity. Lysine is the primary limiting amino acid and is often lacking in a forage-based diet. Without it, protein cannot be synthesised correctly, and the right protein is essential to help re-build damaged hooves. Zinc and calcium are also important to support optimum hoof growth and quality.  Both Coligone Balancer and MultiVit PRO contain an optimum blend of vitamins, bioplex minerals and micronutrients specially bonded to amino acids to maximise bioavailability and contain powerful antioxidants. Additionally, Coligone Powder and liquid are packed with essential calcium for hoof health and integrity which is particularly important following laminitis.

• Promote Beneficial Microbes

Hindgut microbes are critical to the health of your horse but can be lost in the events leading to laminitis. Coligone Powder and Liquid contains generous levels of key pro and pre-biotics to support hindgut microbes and help maintain a healthy, balanced hindgut by providing food and support for beneficial bacteria. This will help re-build and support a healthy microbial population, following digestive upset like acidosis,  for optimum digestive health.

• Monitor Body Condition

As laminitis is strongly linked to obesity, monitoring body condition throughout the year but particularly during spring and summer when grass is higher in calories, is essential to ensure your horse doesn’t become overweight.   Using a weight tape coupled with a Body Condition Score Chart (BCS) regularly will help you to monitor weight and condition. You can then adjust your horse or pony’s diet, management, and exercise as necessary to try to maintain them at an ideal BCS of 5 on a nine-point scale. 

Taking steps like this to ensure your horse stays at a healthy weight and condition is key to help reduce and prevent laminitis.

If you have any questions about creating the best diet for your horse and keeping your horse healthy through the right nutrition, please contact Coligone – 0333 0503785/07986 183616 or sales@hbradshaws.co.uk.