TAKE CARE WITH AUTUMN FLUSH

Posted by Toqeer Bhatti

Autumn Flush – Taking Care with Laminitis

Everyone associates the arrival of springwith the curse of laminitis, but did you know autumn is another time of yearyou need to be careful and monitor your horse carefully for laminitis?

During September, your grazing has a finalattempt to enrich itself before winter sets in and its growth rate drops off.The end result is a flush of growth throughout September. It’s not so extensiveas in April and May, but it is definitely enough to bring on a case of laminitisin susceptible ponies.

Recapon Laminitis

Laminitis is caused by the laminae thathold the pedal bone to the hoof becoming inflamed and damaged, and in severecases breaking down completely. This can lead to the pedal bone dropping, andappearing through the sole. It is treatable but in severe cases, horses willneed to be put down. Once a horse has had one bout, he is susceptible tofurther episodes.

At any point during the year there are numerous causes, including high levelsof concussion, above normal insulin levels, injury to one leg causing weightbearing on the other, overeating of carbohydrates, retained placenta afterbirth, colic or any systemic illness, poisoning through eating toxic plants, orhigh use of steroids. It is thought that these triggers damage or limit bloodsupply to the foot.

AutumnLaminitis

The flush of grass leads to many horsesovereating carbohydrates. If the horse is not being exercised enough (which isoften the case with the start of the new school year), laminitis is often theresult.

Signsto Look Out For

It might not be immediately obvious yourhorse is suffering from laminitis, particularly if he has never had an autumnbout before. Here are some signs to look out for:

Change in behaviour
Change in stance and movement
Digital pulse in arteries in the fetlock anddown the pastern much stronger
Depression of the contours of coronary band
Resentment of pressure on coronary band abovetoe
Resentment of tapping or pressure to sole offoot between point of frog and toe
Walking on heels or flat footed
Frequently lying down
Leaning into heels when standing
Pottery stride (may not be obviously lame in anyparticular foot)
Swivels on turning
Constantly shifts from foot to foot
Heat in the foot is not a reliable indication as it changes with theenvironment.

Treatment

Whatever reason or time of year your horsehas developed laminitis, the treatment is the same.

Call vet
Immediately take off grass
Put him on a deep bed so his soles are not touching floor
Discuss with your vet and farrier the need for frog support or pads
Your vet/farrier will also advise on whether to keep shoes on or off as it depends on the shape of the sole and the state of the feet
Drug treatment following vet’s advice. This often includes an initial dose of Sedal in, alongside anti-inflammatory
If it is very bad, surgical treatment may be suggested
Box rest – make sure the box you are using is thoroughly disinfected first. He is likely to be there a while so you don’t want him to pick up any other infections!
Assess diet and change accordingly

Prevention

Of course, prevention is always better than sure, so if your horse has history, take these precautions at autumn time:

Maintain correct weight
Be aware of pre-disposition
Feed accordingly – feed high fibre and keep away from carbohydrates
Correct foot trimming/shoeing and consider heart bars
Supplements are an option such as Farriers Formula
Keep off lush pasture during the autumn flush
Make sure your pony has plenty of exercise

Being forewarned is essential to prevent laminitis. So don’t get too complacent as summer draws to a close – keep an eye on those ponies!