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.
The horse has adopted the ‘founder stance’
The horse has an elevated heart rate (above 45 beats per minute) and/or respiration rate (above 16 breaths per minute)
The horse may lie down a lot and be depressed
Not stepping out properly – goes with a shuffling gait, worse on corners or when asked to go downhill
Bounding digital pulse
Shifting weight from hoof to hoof
Difficulty holding up a hoof to be trimmed
Frequent abscessing
Seedy toe problems and hoof cracks
White line separation with flat soles
Tender on hard ground
Growth rings and dishing in the hoof wall or ‘slipper feet’
Image: Dorsal wall flare (front of hoof)
Image: White Line Separation
Missy’s Bucket – the best option to balance Minerals when testing the pasture and hay is not a practical option.
Signs That Your Horse Could Have Cushing’s Disease: Laminitis often occurring in the Autumn (rather than the Spring) is the most common first sign.
Other symptoms may include:
Lethargy
Weight loss
Muscle loss
Excessive drinking and urination
Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) or failure to sweat (anhidrosis)
Development of allergies and hypersensitivities (e.g., vaccinations, flies)
Increased susceptibility to infections
Poor resistance to internal parasites
Skin darkening, often with thickening and scaling
Slow spring shedding of coat with a long, coarse & sometimes curly coat, in advanced cases there is a failure to shed completely
Infertility
Image: Classic slipper feet and thick curly coat of Cushings Disease Photo by Sandi Chiswell
Signs That Your Horse Could Have Insulin Resistance
The horse is overweight with a cresty, hard neck and other abnormal fat deposits. These may persist even after the horse loses weight.
The horse is an easy keeper and always seems to stay fat compared to other horses
Not all IR horses are overweight. In advanced cases the horse can be skinny however it will often still be cresty and have abnormal fat deposits.
History of laminitis or founder commonly induced by grass
Puffiness in the hollows above the eyes
Sheath swelling in geldings
Advanced symptoms may include increased thirst and urination
Loss of body condition and muscle wasting
Low energy levels
Image: Cresty necks don’t have to be huge, hard and obvious to indicate IR
In the next article, we will look at what happens to the hooves, both externally and internally and how this affects the horse.
For more info on Laminitis including treatment, rehab and prevention, have a look at the book ‘What is Laminitis? – A Practical, Step by Step Guide to Recovery’ written by Rebecca Scott and Zoe Messina. Also available as an EBOOK
‘If your horse has laminitis, this is the FIRST book you should read! A review by Linda Whitfield Cowles – Equine rehab specialist.
As the days are getting shorter and the temperature plummets, there are a few extra considerations we need to think about when it comes to caring for our horses in cold weather.
Seedy Toe, also known as White Line Disease, is a fungal/bacterial infection that eats into the hoof via the white line, similar to thrush it is often worse in wet conditions. It is accompanied by other common hoof issues like hoof cracks, wall flares, frequent abscessing, flat and thin soles.
Thrush is the name that we tend to use for any type of fungal or bacterial infection of the horse’s frog. Its characterised by a foul-smelling and often white, grey or black sludgy residue in and around the frog and it can cause significant pain and tenderness in the area.
Missy’s Bucket – the best option to balance Minerals when testing the pasture and hay is not a practical option.
