Equestrian Life March 2018 Issue

feed and veterinary
Feeding the Laminitic
By Dr Tom Shurlock, nutritionist at British Horse Feeds
Whether the cause of laminitis is
hormonal, associated with breed,
age, obesity or excessive fructans
intake from spring grass, the situation is
made worse with incorrect nutrition.
Laminitis derives from inflammation of the
tissue around the coffin bone. Exacerbated
by vasoconstriction, poor circulation around
the hoof inhibits oxidative, inflammatory
and necrotic factors being flushed from the
area.
Overfeeding has consequences; obese
animals put a physical strain on the feet
and predispose the horse to EMS. It also
overloads the gut. The horse can only
digest a finite amount of protein and
carbohydrate, excess nutrients entering
the hind gut. This leads to disruption and
death of the inherent microbes – the fibre
fermenters. Protein and carbohydrate
fermentation leads to nitrite production
(vasoconstrictors), endotoxins and lactic
acid (which increases the permeability of
the gut cells, allowing absorption of those
negative factors which cause laminitis)
while the decline of fibre fermentation leads
to a decrease in the integrity of the gut cells.
Simply, too much protein and starch and
sugar, will increase the incidence in a
laminitic; the question is, how much is too
much?
Apart from extreme exercise (and specialist
conditions like pregnancy) no more than
12% protein should be fed and a combined
level of 10% starch and sugar. Any more
and the horse will not absorb it. The skill
is trying to achieve this, especially in
terms of carbohydrates, when grass can
have up to 30% fructans. Early morning
grazing (before the sugars at the base of
the leaf start mobilising), soaking hay and
haylage can reduce levels, and buying hard
feeds with low levels will complement
this. However, this can lead to an energy
shortfall, especially for active animals. This
is where super fibres come into their own.
With a higher rate of fibre fermentation
than forage, and more slow release energy,
fibres like Speedi-Beet or Fibre-Beet give
a favourable fermentation pattern that
supplies energy and improves hindgut
physiology, reducing lactic acid and
endotoxin generation.
Low protein and carbohydrate intake
supplemented with a super fibre is the way
to support a laminitic.
For further information on Speedi-Beet
and Fibre-Beet visit the British Horse Feeds
website on www.britishhorsefeeds.com
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30 March 2018 Equestrian Life