[Nutritional laminitis–preventive measures for the obese horse].

The research focuses on nutritional laminitis, a common issue in horses often brought about by excessive carbohydrate fermentation or insulin resistance as a result of obesity. The article suggests strategies for preventing laminitis in overweight horses by managing their diet and exercise, as well as monitoring their weight loss progress.

Causes of Nutritional Laminitis

• The paper identifies two primary causes of nutrition-induced laminitis in horses. These are over-fermentation of carbohydrates in the hindgut and insulin resistance caused by obesity.
• The fermentation of carbohydrates, usually from grass or cereals, leads to the release and absorption of microbial toxins. Insulin resistance perturbs normal metabolic functioning and is associated with obesity – a condition referred to as equine metabolic syndrome. These two causes can act simultaneously, escalating the risk of laminitis.

Dietary Prevention of Laminitis

• The paper recommends weight reduction for overweight horses with a history of laminitis, achieved through a diet of late-cut hay, a hay-straw mixture, or grass seed straw, all at 1-1.2% of the horse’s ideal body weight. However, this roughage allowance doesn’t sufficiently meet the horse’s need to chew, a requirement of at least 1.5% of ideal body weight.
• An insufficient chew allowance can lead to behavioral problems like aggression and abnormal eating behavior (allophagia), and even stereotypic behavior in extreme cases.
• The paper warns against replacing starch concentrates with high-fat concentrates and recommends using sawdust for bedding. Additionally, the horse’s intake of grass from a pasture must be significantly reduced.
• If the horse is highly prone to laminitis or its stable management is unreliable, the paper recommends abstaining from grazing. Any dietary supplements need to be low in energy while supplying deficient minerals and vitamins. Adding some protein or amino acids might also be beneficial.

Role of Exercise in Preventing Laminitis

• Regular exercise, such as a daily 30-minute speedy trot, is recommended to improve insulin sensitivity.
• Exercise increases energy expenditure to an extent, which allows for a slight increase in the roughage supply, balancing energy reduction and the need to chew.

Monitoring Weight Loss

• The weight loss rate should ideally be 0.5-1% of the body weight per week. Exceeding this rate could potentially result in hyperlipemia, a condition characterized by an excess of lipids in the bloodstream.
• The effectiveness of the reducing diet should be checked regularly, either by weighing the horse or measuring its body, neck, or girth circumference, ideally aiming for a reduction of 1-2 cm per week.