Free laminitis advice leaflets from Redwings
A new, free information pack about laminitis has been published by Redwings Horse Sanctuary to help horse owners understand the underlying conditions of the disease, what to do if it strikes and how to spot its symptoms.
According to research over 90% of cases are caused by one of two underlying conditions, Cushing’s disease or Equine Metabolic Syndrome — and that spring grass is simply a trigger.
“Laminitis is shrouded in myths and confusion — ‘walk it off’, ‘it only affects small fat native ponies’ and ‘just a few days in a stable will fix it,” said Redwings’ vet Roxane Kirton.
“None of these things are foolproof ways of protecting the disease and in fact some of these ‘treatments’ could actually cause more damage to your horse’s feet in the long-run.”
She added: “The pain of laminitis has been likened to ripping off your toenail. It must always be treated as an emergency, and any episodes that are not treated properly can lead to permanent changes in the hoof.”
To order your copy of the laminitis pack email welfare@redwings.co.uk
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A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.