Equine Weight Solutions

24/02/2023

Can’t not share this as it is a vital message for anyone with horses or ponies prone to laminitis.

ERROR ALERT FOR LAMINITICS 🧐😖☠️

Oh help!

One of my ENLC members asked me about this forage and I'm so glad they did, because it gave me the chance to clear up a BIG error.

For laminitics it is WSC (sugar plus fructan) and energy (calories) NOT just starch and sugar (ESC) in forages, that you need to worry about!

WHY?
> Starch is consistently low in UK forages at around 2%
> Sugar and fructan (which together make up WSC) are HIGHLY variable so you really do need to worry about them both!
> Fructan DOES affect a laminitic, both in terms of insulin response (there is some evidence for this and you can read about it in the ENLC), gut health and body fat levels
> Never rely on just carb (sugar, starch, fructan) levels in forage because energy (calories) are AS important.

If in any doubt, or you don't have forage analysis, then soak your hay to reduce calories and WSC (or dilute with straw, if you follow straw feeding guidelines).

Always, always use your horse or pony's health and condition (body fat levels) to determine if a forage is suitable for them, NEVER rely 100% on a statement like this saying 'perfect for those prone to laminitis' since all horses and ponies are different.

And always remember that even a low sugar hay can cause fat gain which in turn could cause laminitis!!!

Please ask below if you are concerned and I will try to get back to you.

And please help by sharing this post (thank you) 🐴🍏

09/02/2023

I hope everyone is coping this winter, we’re over the worst 🫣🤞🤞so time to start thinking about the coming spring and summer.

Do you have a good doer or EMS/Cushings/Laminitis prone horse or pony? If so then the approaching spring and summer is likely to fill you with dread 🫣

Fear not! The first thing to do is understand what you’re dealing with and then get a plan in place of how to tackle it. The start point is an accurate weight and, as importantly, body condition score for your horse. From there we can plan how to best managed feeding, exercise and workload for the season ahead.

Even if you’re lucky enough for your horse or pony not to suffer from metabolic related disorders then having an accurate weight and body condition can be vital especially if your horse has any of the following issues:

Joint problems
Poor gut health
Poor performance
Breathing problems

All of these can be exacerbated by your horse carrying extra weight and while you spend a small fortune on supplements to try to alleviate the problem without tackling the real issue, it’s just money down the drain.

I’m now based just outside of Bury St Edmunds so covering Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex please get in touch if you would like a simple, uncomplicated and importantly unbiased weight and diet assessment for your horse.
Happy to do larger yard weigh ins or individual consultations, please do get in touch. I’m looking forward to getting out into the countryside and start finding my way around.

Pm me for more details 😎