In this article we show you how being overweight in horses can cause serious health problems.
Most horse owners have heard of laminitis but because it is so common they under estimate it. Laminitis is caused by different factors. Stress laminitis occurs when the pony gets over worked, laminitis is also caused by too much lush grass and being overweight. But it is argued that it can also be caused by infection and some types of drugs.. Laminitis is a disruption to the blood supply in the hoof. Hooves can’t swell so it’s extremely painful. The hooves become very hot and the pulse just above the fetlock joint will throb.
Ponies will often rock backwards trying to take the weight off their front legs. All horses and ponies suffering from laminitis should be seen by a vet.
If you ride five days a week and have a jumping lesson you are still only doing light work. Feed companies often mean different things by light medium and heavy work so the best thing to do is to phone your feed company.
Some experts argue that consulting feed companies is not a good thing as wanting to sell the feed clouds their judgement and they end up making you buy more than you need. Of course this is not so with all feed companies but you must be careful where you buy from.
I f you discover your horse is overweight you must still keep something going through their system otherwise you are risking other problems.
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