![]() ![]() “To be safe, my recommendation is to not allow horses and ponies that are at risk of endocrinopathic laminitis to graze on frosty autumn grasses/legumes,” she says. When horses have comorbidities such as PPID, are obese, or are genetically predisposed to metabolic problems, their risk of developing autumn laminitis is higher, says Macon. “Have them tested for insulin dysregulation (or equine metabolic syndrome) and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, formerly known as equine Cushing’s disease).” If your horse is predisposed to endocrine disease (e.g., he’s overweight or obese), limiting nonstructural carbohydrates in his diet can help prevent the onset of laminitis, she adds. “First, horse owners need to know the endocrine status of their animal,” says Macon. Pillars of proper management of laminitic horses include recognizing their endocrine levels and managing housing, farrier care, exercise, and nutrition. “I highly encourage exercise in the winter-even if you are just (working) your horse in the round pen for 15-20 minutes each day.” How Can I Detect and Prevent Autumn Laminitis? In a time when pasture sugar levels rise and horses begin to store fat for winter, “reducing exercise will only exacerbate fat storage,” says Macon. Reducing horses’ exercise in this way can negatively impact metabolic state. Thus, the body starts to shift to fat storage as the animal approaches winter, which increases insulin secretion, subsequently increasing the risk of laminitis.” Autumn Equine Lifestyle Changesĭuring the summer months most horses are generally ridden more but, as winter approaches, show season winds down, and the months get colder, leading to a decrease in horses’ workloads. … Insulin secretion goes up to promote the storing of fat. “As we start approaching the colder months, horses start to pack on the fat to get them through the winter. In her own research Macon found that horses with insulin dysregulation had the highest basal (resting) and post-oral sugar test insulin concentrations in the spring, but winter insulin concentrations in the metabolic horses were very similar to spring values. Horses also experience a metabolic shift during autumn to prepare for winter, which can trigger a laminitis episode, she adds. And, “in the later autumn, hard frosts can make grasses retain their sugar content.” These nutrient shifts often occur due to the start of colder nights and shorter days, she explains. “There are two reasons why horses and ponies might experience endocrinopahtic laminitis in the autumn-nutrient changes in pasture and forage, and a metabolic shift,” says Erica Macon, MS, PhD, assistant professor of equine science at Texas A&M University, in College Station. New growth of lush pasture triggers laminitis episodes in the spring, but different factors are at play in the fall. “With the increase in insulin, an inflammatory response is triggered in the hoof this increases the blood flow and delivers high volumes of insulin to the tissue,” says Garland. ![]() The higher sugar levels in grass during the spring and autumn months are a key reason why laminitis is more prevalent during these times of year. “Over prolonged periods, if horses consume large concentrate meals or high-sugar forage, there will be an increase in the insulin response”. “For horses suffering from endocrinopathic laminitis, the trigger is an alteration to the metabolic state,” says Anna Garland, MS, a PhD candidate in equine physiology at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada. Laminitis is a condition where inflammation in the laminar junction leads to the separation of the epidermal and dermal laminae in the hoof, which are basically what suspend the coffin bone within the hoof capsule. Understanding your horse’s risk level for this painful and potentially deadly hoof condition-and the physiological differences between spring and autumn laminitis-is critical to prevention. Laminitis in horses can strike any time of year, for a variety of reasons, but veterinarians and horse owners see endocrinopathic cases most commonly in spring and autumn. Horses with a higher risk of developing laminitis should be turned out in the very early morning hours. ![]()
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