Does your Horse have Laminitis?

Did you know....
 

Some of the causes of laminitis include: obesity, elevated blood sugars (from overconsumption of starch and sugars) and standing on hard ground for extended periods (referred limb lameness).

How does it show itself?

The condition occurs when the blood flow to the laminae is altered. This can lead to the death of laminae cells. Once this occurs their ability to support the pedal bone is compromised, at which point the pedal bone may detach from the hoof wall.

How can Haygain help?

As part of a wider treatment programme (which includes box rest and cryotherapy) Haygain can help in two main ways:

Restricted grazing: Feeding hay with a water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content of less than 10%. This can be achieved by soaking the hay followed by steaming with a Haygain hay steamer (to remove the bacteria). Then feed through a Haygain Forager slow feeder to trickle feed and reduce the impact of the remaining WSC.

Support to the foot: Installing Haygain's ComfortStall orthapaedic flooring system will provide more comfort when standing and encourage the horse to lie down and rest properly. Prolonged stabling can also challenge the respiratory tract. It is important to maintain good ventilation and a low dust environment - steaming hay with a Haygain hay steamer can help achieve this by reducing exposure to respirable dust by killing mould, bacteria, fungal spores and mite faeces.