What are the signs of laminitis?

Hi! Laminitis is a tricky one, particularly the early symptoms. If it has reached the point where the horse will not walk, or off-loads its forelegs by rocking back onto its heels, then it is a true emergency: call the vet out and do not move the horse.

Some common signs of laminitis are increased heat at the coronary band and the hoof, a stronger digital pulse that can be felt clearly at the fetlock, a stilted gait and a reluctance to turn. Usually it is the front feet that hurt most and are most affected.

To prevent the metabolic form of laminitis, keep the horse below a body condition score of 6 on the Henneke scale all year round. Feed it sustainably, which means not overfeeding. A thin horse can develop laminitis too, but it most likely has other underlying causes, such as PPID. We cannot prevent PPID, but if the horse is diagnosed with it we can medicate and so stop the horse developing laminitis.

Be careful with feed changes, and do not let the horse graze more than the equivalent of a normal feed ration of hay or haylage.

You can read more on Hästsverige, a Swedish-language resource: https://hastsverige.se/halsa-skador-sjukdomar/alla-hastkroppens-skador-och-sjukdomar/hormonella-sjukdomar-endokrinologi/fang/