Managing Pasture-Associated Laminitis

Laminitis is not a modern condition–it has been recognized for well over 2,000 years. The Greek philosopher Aristotle even referred to it around 350 B.C. as ‘Barley Disease,’ presumably because it was associated even then with excessive grain consumption. However, according to Patricia Harris, MA, PhD, Dipl. ECVCN, VetMB, MRCVS, there has recently been an increased interest in pasture-associated
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Laminitis is not a modern condition–it has been recognized for well over 2,000 years. The Greek philosopher Aristotle even referred to it around 350 B.C. as 'Barley Disease,' presumably because it was associated even then with excessive grain consumption. However, according to Patricia Harris, MA, PhD, Dipl. ECVCN, VetMB, MRCVS, there has recently been an increased interest in pasture-associated laminitis and researchers have devised management strategies to minimize at-risk horses' chances of being affected by it.

The results of a survey conducted in the United Kingdom relay that 61% of the horses and ponies that suffered from laminitis attacks were out on grass prior to the attack; 30% lived both on grass and in a stall; and only 9% were stabled. The results of a similar study in the United States revealed that about 45% of laminitis cases were linked to pasture turnout.

"It has recently been shown that giving relatively large amounts of a particular fructan (a carbohydrate found in plant cells) can induce laminitis in the horse," Harris said. "It is thought that as for other mammals the horse does not have the necessary enzymes to digest grass fructans directly within the small intestine. Grass fructans, therefore, pass relatively unchanged into the hindgut where they are readily fermented, in a similar manner to starch or other sugars that escape digestion in the small intestine." This process contributes to the development of laminitis

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
326 votes · 326 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!