The Art of Natural Dressage

Some of you may have noticed when I told about my acquiring an Andalusian mare recently that I also mentioned her laminitis.

I've started digging through the Horsecare and Health forum for any information on hoof care that would pertain to this condition.

Can anyone remember any specific threads on this and know of good information I might find?

How good are the nutritional approaches?

What is the protocol for trimming?

I've read somewhere, and followed this when I was a younger man, much, that keeping the heel high, trimming the wall at an angle so that it does not bear weight, thus moving the weight bearing to the sole is the objective with laminitis.

This is, I believe, for freeing the wall of pressure for healing healthy normal growth and also for keeping the coffin bone from rotating down through the sole of the hoof.

I know in the wild horse's hoof walls are often rounded off with bits and pieces (in dry country) of wall flaked away, and the wall worn by stone and sand contact abrasion.

More sole weight bearing by nature's cruder but effective hand.

Is this what the newest information shows?

Donald Redux

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Love is Trust, trust is All
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So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.

Hi Donald,

You may find something on Pete Ramey's website. I'm not sure of the exact website but check Pete Ramey Hoofcare. You'll find something for sure.
He has alot of articles and I'm sure there is alot of info on laminitis.
Jocelyne

Diet plays a huge role in laminitis, more so than the trim. White line separation is helped by beveling the hoof wall from the apex(do not bevel the heels). If you post pictures of the sole I can photo shop to show what needs trimming.

As for nutritional approaches-treat her like a diabetic. No sugar or starch and no processed feed. Limit any treats and feed additives as vitamin overload can also play a role in the laminitis. Hay, water, mineral licks...keep it simple. Over the counter "special feeds" never work, at at least I have yet to see it work in my experience (15+ years). These "founder feeds" and low carb feeds are full of mill waste-not worth feeding your horse.

Exercise will do wonders as well for laminitis. It raises the metabolic rate and will help your mare naturally handle carbs/sugars better. Even if she does not want to move-keep her moving. 24/7 turn out on a sparse pasture will help control the diet as well(spread hay all over the pasture to keep movement).

Is this mare overweight? If so you may want to check her thyroid-often laminitic horses with weight problems will also have a thyroid imbalance.

Thank you, Jocelyne, for the reference. I'll check it out.

Donald Redux

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Love is Trust, trust is All
~~~~~~~~~
So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.

Thank you, Melanie. Just what I was looking for.

Can't say of she's overweight. Could be. I'll look into the thyroid issue.

I'll see if I can get a photo of her sole for you though I'm comfortable with your description as being clear and understandable.

The diet issues are probably pretty well taken care of, but I'll alert my brother-in-law, the present owner, about it.

As is shown in the photograph, this time of year she's out on very sparse pasture. I don't know his year around feeding arrangements, but he is very likely to feed good quality hay -- since he grows it commercially.

It's highly unlikely she'd be penned or stall placed ever. Maybe on really bad weather days, but I doubt even that much.

As for patent feeds, I take your meaning clearly as well. Yet another attempt to sell what is not needed to those who don't know.

Hay, saltlick, water, and lots of movement.

I'll see if I can bring this to the attention of the owner. He's probably doing much the same with her now and hopefully has gotten good advice.

Thank you,

Donald Redux

_________________
Love is Trust, trust is All
~~~~~~~~~
So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.

Both my vet and the equine podietrist recommended feeding magnesium as a suppliment for horses prone to laminitis. (Bo had a mild case last year)

A friend of mine has a horse that suffers with laminitis every year no matter how hard she tries to do everything right so she started feeding magnesium to him and it seems to have helped...

I'm sure there is plenty of information out there on the web about it that can go into more detail than I can.

Sorry I can't help more than that other than to say that hooflady has said all the other things that I would have recommended.

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Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. Your help is appreciated.

As I recall from my ancient past, we always upped the hay ration a bit in the spring, and reduced turnout time on grass with the first flush of growth.

Seems for some horses lush pasture can cause an imbalance manifested in corrupt hoof wall growth, it seems.

But we thought exercise was the best way to keep them in balance. Burn off the excess carbs., as Melanie recommends.

Donald Redux

_________________
Love is Trust, trust is All
~~~~~~~~~
So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.

Here is a little video:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EymLqLv1D2w

lots of info on this site
http://www.thehorseshoof.com/

and the video..a huge fat little one
poor pony..but it seems to go better..but it has not had to come so far...they give the pony too much to eat and they did not have done good trimming at all.

Hi Donald

are you still looking for information on laminitis, I recently did an essay on the subject and researched lots of info. If you need it let me know.

Eileen

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Listen! Or your tongue will make you deaf.

Cherokee Saying

Hey Eileen....I would love to know more info about laminitis too. I have read all I can about it but you never know what you might have missed so any extra info would be most appreciated.

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a book Who's afraid of founder written by Strasser.
here you can read a lot about what laminitus is and how it looks like at the inside.

I do not say you have to use the Strasser methode but only for information.

http://barefooters.forumup.it/viewforum ... arefooters

-is the English section (on diseases and rehab.) from Alex Brollo's (Hi, Alex!) barefoot Italian forum, which I think anyone can read - we had a huge laminitis thread a while ago, lots of information and ideas came up. (If you have trouble calling it up, I'll copy some articles for you, if you're interested). I think there's a rehab.trim thread, too.
Also, there's Chris Pollitt, an Australian authority on laminitis with some fascinating stuff on his website.
Rita

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"There is always an alternative to every cruel act".

Okay I will send it to you.

Eileen

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Listen! Or your tongue will make you deaf.



Cherokee Saying

I'd love to have it, and thank you Eileen.

We'll be picking up our mare soon.

I'll also reread the other source you mentioned in another later post.

Donald R.

_________________
Love is Trust, trust is All
~~~~~~~~~
So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.