Main Causes Of Laminitis In Horses

In this article i will discuss the main causes of laminitis in horses and how you as an owner can be vigilant to prevent laminitis in your horse.

Main causes of laminitis in horses. The main cause of laminitis in horses in australia and in most parts of the developed world is obesity dependent laminitis odl. Causes of laminitis in horses. We ve all heard the saying no hoof no horse and laminitis in horses is one of the most worrying concerns that many horse owners have. The media has made a significant push on the unfortunately high rate of human obesity but companion animals such as horses dogs and cats are also suffering from alarming rates of obesity.

What causes laminitis in horses. It can often cause lameness in two or all four feet at one time but it is preventable. After a long journey due to the transportation of horses introduction to the new environment staying a long time in hard standing riding horses in the unknown trail and unfamiliar stablemates may also lead to laminitis. It can also be caused by overenthusiastic hoof trimming.

The causes vary and may include the following. Although laminitis occurs in the feet the underlying cause is often a disturbance elsewhere in the horse s body. There are many causes of equine stress and due to some stress laminitis in horses may be developed. While the exact mechanisms by which the feet are damaged remain a mystery certain precipitating events can produce laminitis.

Traumatic laminitis is caused by repeated physical trauma to the feet during e g. Endurance riding driving or jumping on hard ground. Severe lameness in one limb will cause a horse or pony to carry excessive weight on his other limbs which may cause laminitis. What causes laminitis in horses.

In this post we ll go over what laminitis is what causes it and how to prevent it. Relatively less commonly horses can get laminitis from overload typically associated with non weight bearing conditions in one limb thereby overloading the opposite limb. There are 3 main causes of laminitis. Laminitis inflammation of the lamina of the hoof is a common and potentially devastating foot problem that affects all members of the equine family.

Several factors can also predispose a horse to developing laminitis such as being overweight or especially those horses that have had laminitis previously. Laminitis commonly known as founder is a painful disease that causes severe lameness in horses. There are a number of contributing factors overload inflammation metabolic issues and physical trauma among them. Laminitis tends to be a secondary condition arising from a variety of sources so we ll guide you through the most common.