Preventing laminitis in horses: Dietary strategies for horse owners

Abstract

Although diet is only one of many factors that cause or contribute to the development of laminitis in horses, it is by far the most important overall. Thus, implementing the dietary strategies outlined in this paper can substantially decrease a horse’s laminitis risk. These strategies can be distilled into one simple phrase: less calories, more exercise. In the words of Dr. Ric Redden, a veterinarian and farrier, and one of the world’s foremost experts on laminitis in horses, “Laminitis that is directly associated with obesity is quite easy to prevent. It’s a simple formula, one I have heard so many times from old horsemen. It’s a great line for maintaining a healthy horse: ‘The fat ones get less and the thin ones get more.’”