What should Laminitic horses not eat?

Cereals (oats, barley, maize) or bagged feeds containing cereals or molasses with combined sugar/starch exceeding 10%. Never starve a horse with laminitis - this can cause hyperlipaemia (which has a high fatality rate) particularly in pony, donkey and miniature horse breeds.

What can you not feed a laminitic horse?

Laminitic horses need extra attention paid to their diet. This includes avoiding things like molasses and wholegrain cereals and using feeds low in sugar and starch. However, it is important to make sure that they still get the daily nutrients that they need including vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

What feed causes laminitis in horses?

Laminitis can be caused by an over consumption of high starch and sugar grains, either in one meal or by feeding large grain meals.

What is a good feed for a foundered horse?

Feed grass hay, possibly a little alfalfa hay, or rinsed sugar beet, BUT stay away from corn, oats, barley, and especially stay away from sugar as molasses. Feed extra fat in the form of oil or rice bran if you need to get energy into the horse.

What grain should I feed my horse with laminitis?

Feed up to 2% of your horses body weight (10 kg/day for a 500 kg horse) per day as low quality, low sugar forage, including mature or stemmy tropical grass hays and/or weather damaged lucerne hay. Balance the diet with a low dose rate vitamin and mineral supplement and good quality protein from full fat soybean.

How to feed a horse with laminitis

What is the best diet for a laminitis?

The basis of any diet for a horse or pony prone to laminitis or suffering acute laminitis is hay. The best choice of forage is one that is low in sugar, starch, and fructans (non-structural carbohydrates or NSC). Ideally, all forage that you intend to feed should be tested for NSC level and be below 10%.

Are carrots good for horses with laminitis?

One of the first things you are likely to be told, as the owner of a laminitic or EMS horse, is "no treats, no carrots, no apples..". A grape or prune is sometimes suggested as suitable for hiding pergolide tablets, but owners may be warned not to use a slice of carrot or apple for the same purpose.

Can a horse with laminitis eat grass?

Quick facts. High amounts of sugars in grasses can bring about laminitis in horses susceptible to the disease. Susceptible horses should have limited grazing or no grazing.

Is steamed hay good for laminitic horses?

Steaming hay with Haygain retains nutritional value, improves palatability and helps manage respiratory issues, laminitis, insulin resistance, colic and post-surgery recovery.

Can a horse with laminitis eat alfalfa hay?

Feeding and Management

Feeds with a combined sugar and starch content of less than 10% should be fed to horses with laminitis. If horses are underweight and need to gain condition, consider adding alfalfa-based forages as they contain more calories per pound, but are low in sugars and starches.

What triggers laminitis?

Laminitis can be caused by many factors, including overeating (obesity), working on a hard surface (commonly referred to as road founder), running high fevers, exposure to black walnut shavings, and stress. Ponies are extremely susceptible to laminitis, especially when fed rich, lush forage.

What is the best thing to give a horse with laminitis?

Feed: A product specially formulated for metabolic issues or a ration balancer are the best bet to feed your laminitic horse. Micro nutrients such as vitamins and minerals are essential for tissue repair, so be sure to check that the feed is balanced for these as well as the essential amino acids.

Are oats good for laminitic horses?

Although horses with acute (active) laminitis should not be fed whole oats, there is increasing awareness that horses that have had a history of laminitis in the past can be safely fed whole oats. This is due to the fact that the starch in oats is highly digestible.

Can you feed straw to laminitic horses?

Another benefit of a horse eating straw is that it can also be part of the bucket feed and at Dengie we use straw as a key ingredient in our Hi-Fi range to provide a lower calorie ration helping to promote weight loss and reduce the risk of issues such as laminitis.

Is happy hoof good for laminitis?

A low calorie fibre blend suitable for those prone to laminitis.

Is beet pulp good for laminitic horses?

A supplement containing protein, vitamins, and minerals will help the horse heal damaged tissues. For thin laminitic horses, consider providing calories from beet pulp (without molasses), alfalfa hay or cubes, soy hulls, or vegetable oil.

Can you feed haylage to a Laminitic?

Conserved forage, such as hay and haylage , is the cornerstone of the laminitis prone horse's diet; as they typically spend longer periods stabled, or in a no-grass area.

What type of hay has the lowest sugar content?

Low sugar hay is extremely important in a horse's diet due to its health properties and the enormous benefits it can offer. While lucerne usually has lower sugar than a lot of grass hays, it more often than not tests HIGHER in sugar, starch & protein compared to our Low Sugar Hay.

Does soaking hay reduce sugar?

Soaking hay before feeding is one way to lower the sugar levels, but it reduces more than sugar. Soaking hay is one way to reduce the amount of sugar in the hay, but it should only be used as a stopgap method until a more appropriate hay can be found.

Should you walk a horse with laminitis?

Fact: Walking a horse with laminitis will cause more damage to the hoof. Your vet will assess the pain and severity of the laminitis your horse has and may provide pain relief and sole support. Your vet may also advise box rest (movement restriction in a stable) for several months.

When should I turn my laminitic horse out?

When turning out laminitis-prone horses to graze, turn them out in the early morning and evening because that is when the water-soluble carbohydrate levels are lowest.

What time of day is the sugar content highest in grass?

Sugar content of grasses is higher in the afternoon than in the morning and sugar content is lowest at night, so grazing should be restricted to the safest times of the day to graze, early morning and night times.

Can laminitic horses eat bananas?

Bananas are a healthy source of potassium for horses and are a fruit they really enjoy eating. Bananas are a very popular food for riders to give their race horses as they give that extra boost of energy. You can feed bananas to horses with the skin still on as the whole fruit is beneficial for their health.

What vegetables can laminitic horses eat?

Other Vegetables to Feed Your Horse

The parsnip has similar sugar content to the carrot but does not contain starch, making it a good alternative for a laminitic horse. Horses that don't like carrots are often found to like parsnips instead. Beetroot, cucumber, and celery are also safe for horses to eat.

What horse treats are low in sugar?

The safe sugarless nutritious horse treat suitable for all horses, even those with metabolic issues! Canada's only low glycemic Index horse treat! Comes in 5 natural flavors: Apple, Carrot, Cinnamon, Licorice and Spearmint.