Q: Is it safe to breed a mare that is prone to laminitis?

—Linda, via e-mail

A: There are several considerations that go into the decision to breed a mare that is prone to laminitis. Is the laminitis an occurrence that can usually be prevented by good dietary (pasture and supplemental feed) management? If so, then continue to practice these effective dietary manipulations, with due consideration to the needs of the fetus and foal during late gestation and lactation.

Is the laminitis secondary to a condition such as equine Cushing’s (a metabolic disorder that involves excess glucocorticoids) that has many other medical implications that could affect the fetus? If so, then there are probably several reasons to not breed such a mare