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What’s the best thing you can do to reduce the risk of your horse or pony getting laminitis? Keep them at a healthy weight is the simple answer. It is often easier said than done, but letting your horse or pony become overweight significantly increases the risk of them developing laminitis.
Why is this? It is known that higher levels of insulin circulating in the body for prolonged periods of time is sufficient to cause laminitis, even if blood sugar levels are normal. So the next question is what causes insulin levels to rise and the two key issues highlighted by researchers are Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID formerly known as Cushing’s Syndrome) and Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) – which is typically characterised by obesity. Both of these cause disruptions to the regulation of hormones in the body such as insulin. This is why managing your horse’s weight is the best thing you can do to reduce th
Horsetalk.co.nz ‘Senior’ performance horses may need a little more TLC
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As horses age, some physiological functions start to decline, and they require extra care to maintain their overall health and condition. Image by Alexas Fotos
From a veterinary perspective, horses can be considered “middle-aged” by 13 years of age, and “seniors” by 20 years of age. Although many sport horses may just be coming into their prime for training and competing during these years, horses show signs of ageing at different rates just like humans do. As horses age, some physiological functions start to decline, and they require extra care to maintain their overall health and condition.