Early Spring Laminitis Warning: How to Protect Your Horse

After a mild and very wet winter, the grass is bursting through with vigour. In fact, it hasn’t actually stopped growing all winter. Early spring 2025 brings a heightened risk of laminitis, especially after such growth, so if you have horses that are good-doers, native ponies, or prone to weight gain, it’s vital to plan how to manage this initial flush of spring grass.

Year-round Laminitis Management

Laminitis is a chronic condition requiring constant vigilance throughout the year. Prevention is always better than cure. Being proactive rather than reactive can break the cycle of repeat laminitis episodes, which are difficult and costly to manage. Here are some essential year-round tips for horses susceptible to laminitis:

• Assess your horse honestly: Native ponies, cobs, or any horse with previous laminitis episodes have a higher risk. Manage these horses carefully as though they have previously had laminitis even if they have not. This cautious approach helps avoid surprises.
• Maintain a healthy weight: Obesity is a known risk factor. Ensure your horse’s diet is balanced with fibre-rich low-sugar feeds and appropriate exercise. Overweight horses face increased risk from metabolic issues that can trigger laminitis.
• Allow healthy winter weight loss: It is normal for horses to lose condition in winter. Do not compensate with extra calories that will result in excess weight entering spring. Review feeding and rugging routines accordingly, especially for native breeds who may only need a rug if clipped.
• Choose low-sugar feeds: Avoid hard feeds with cereals or added sugars like molasses. Feeds with less than 10% natural sugar, usually fibre-based, help control insulin spikes. Always read labels carefully before purchase.
• Monitor hoof health closely: Watch for early signs such as tenderness, stretching of the white line, heat in the hoof, or a bounding digital pulse. Early detection can make a significant difference.
• Consider regular metabolic and veterinary checks: Collaborate with your vet or equine nutritionist for tailored advice and timely intervention if needed.

Managing Spring Pasture

The lush green spring grass is a treat for many horse owners but can be dangerous for laminitic-prone horses. These management strategies help reduce risk during the critical spring months:

• Limit pasture time: Restrict grazing to short periods, such as two outings per day of two to three hours, to reduce intake. Horses can consume up to 1% of their body weight in dry matter in a few hours.
• Use strip grazing: Divide fields into smaller sections to control how much grass the horse can access and prevent overeating.
• Create grass-free turnout areas: Areas surfaced with sand or woodchip allow your horse to be outdoors without grazing. Always provide soaked hay as an alternative forage, but be mindful of sand ingestion risks.
• Employ grazing muzzles: These can reduce grass intake by up to 80%, but require an appropriate grass height to be effective.
• Time turnout wisely: Early morning to late evening typically sees lower grass fructan levels, reducing laminitis risk, although local variations exist.
• Grazing quality pastures only: Use paddocks that have been well managed and grazed to reduce rich grass growth.

Recognising and Acting on Early Signs

Early recognition of laminitis is crucial. Signs can be subtle and vary by horse. Watch closely for any signs of discomfort or lameness. If laminitis is suspected:

• Immediately remove the horse from grass and provide stable confinement.
• Feed soaked hay to reduce sugar intake.
• Administer veterinary-recommended anti-inflammatory medication—commonly bute (phenylbutazone) or other NSAIDs—with prompt veterinary guidance.
• Provide deep bedded box rest to support the hooves.
• Avoid returning your horse to pasture until fully recovered and under vet advice to prevent recurrence.

Laminitis can cause severe pain and irreversible damage if untreated. Contact your vet promptly at the first signs to secure a successful outcome and reduce long-term vet bills.