The onset of Laminitis can be sudden for many horses and it can be a very overwhelming and stressful time for caring owners. There is so much conflicting advice out there and it can be confusing to know where to start, especially in the heat of the first few days!

Thousands of horses have used Missy's Bucket throughout Australia to help manage the essential need for nutritional support, including balanced vitamins and minerals for prevention, treatment and management of laminitis.

The herb Jiao Gu Lan has a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Because of the herb’s ability as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, it has beneficial effects for horses suffering from Laminitis. It also has a powerful ability to increase blood flow in the hoof due to its ability to modulate nitric oxide.

Springtime Laminitis has started already and it's not even Spring! Here is Zoe of Missy's Bucket talking about some of the key approaches that will help prevent the onset of this terrible disease.

Many horse owners, even equine professionals, will ignore these symptoms unless the horse is actually lame. However, they can all indicate serious pathology in the hooves and be a sign of things to come.

The digital pulse is the pulse flowing through the artery to the hoof and is a useful tool in determining if a horse has inflammation in the hoof capsule. It is also useful in determining if a horse could be suffering from Laminitis.

Diet is key when it comes to addressing laminitis and founder in horses. The number one priority is to ensure that the diet is low in simple sugars and starch. When testing forage, Ethanol Soluble Carbohydrates (ESC) is the measure of simple sugars. It's the ESC and starch that need to be considered when assessing...

It is very tempting to want to give your laminitic horse pain relief medication such as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory phenylbutazone (bute). However, these medications must be used with caution and preferably only in the first 3-5 days. 

Unfortunately, one of the biggest risk factors for laminitis and founder in horses is domestication. In the wild, horses will often cover very long distances looking for food and water and their digestive systems have evolved to be very efficient in obtaining energy and nutrients from sparse low-calorie fodder.

Not all the signs of Laminitis are obvious! Your horse doesn’t have to be standing ‘Camped under’ in the classic Founder Stance or have ‘Aladdin’ slipper feet! Some of the signs can be subtle and easily confused with other common problems.