22 August 2008 10:26
My 16.1hh gelding is a lightweight build, but when the ground at my yard gets hard, he gets laminitis. He had his first attack last autumn: gel pads were fitted, he had three months box rest and X-rays showed his pedal bones where fine.
This spring it happened again, a different vet saw him and was very positive. My horse had a week’s box rest, ACP and bute, gel pads again, and came back into work fine. He never does fast work on hard ground, but does have flat feet and upright pasterns.
There’s so much information on laminitis, but nothing about this form of it. How can I stop this happening?
Answer
By Your Horse
Vet Gayle Hallowell replies:
Laminitis is a syndrome, and can be caused by grass or grain, Cushings, severe illness, an injury to another limb, and concussion. For all the research that’s being done, all we can do is manage the condition and try to minimise risk factors – there’s no 100 per cent guaranteed way of preventing laminitis.
It could be that your horse develops severe solar bruising due to thin soles, which can present very like laminitis. It’s also possible he gets solar bruising after being shod, or being on hard ground, which then progresses.
It’s unlikely to be caused by your farrier, although there is only so gentle a farrier can be when using conventional shoes. You could look into stick-on shoes or hoof boots but your horse couldn’t have gel pads on all the time.
To minimise concussive laminitis or solar bruising:
- Keep shoes on at all times.
- Don’t exercise on hard ground.
- Stable and don’t turn out, or only turn out for short periods if the ground is hard.
- Try a supplement to improve horn quality.