Nutritional Management for Avoidance of Pasture‐Associated Laminitis
Authors: Harris Pat
Journal: Equine Laminitis
Summary
Harris's 2017 review examines pasture-associated laminitis through the lens of nutritional management, acknowledging that most clinical cases occur in grazing horses and ponies rather than stabled animals. The analysis identifies laminitis as arising from a dynamic interplay between individual predisposing factors—particularly equine metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance—and environmental triggers, most notably elevated nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) content in pasture forage, including simple sugars, starches and fructans. Two primary intervention pathways emerge: mitigating the underlying metabolic vulnerability through weight management and insulin sensitivity improvement, and implementing strategic dietary and grazing protocols that reduce exposure to NSC-rich pasture conditions known to precipitate laminitis in susceptible animals. For practitioners managing at-risk horses, this framework emphasises that effective prevention requires a dual approach addressing both the animal's metabolic state and the nutritional environment it inhabits—neither element alone is sufficient. The implications are significant for farriers assessing hoof changes, nutritionists designing supplementary feeding programmes, and vets implementing weight loss protocols, all of whom must coordinate their strategies around NSC management and metabolic stabilisation.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Identify high-risk horses (those showing signs of equine metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance) and prioritize metabolic management alongside pasture control as primary laminitis prevention strategies.
- •Monitor and manage pasture nonstructural carbohydrate content—particularly simple sugars, starches, and fructans—through grazing management and forage testing to reduce laminitis risk in susceptible animals.
- •Implement combined nutritional and management protocols addressing both the horse's metabolic status and environmental carbohydrate exposure rather than relying on single-factor interventions.
Key Findings
- •Most laminitis cases in horses and ponies occur in pasture-kept animals, representing a dynamic interaction between insulin resistance (equine metabolic syndrome) and high nonstructural carbohydrate pasture content.
- •Pasture forage nonstructural carbohydrate content (simple sugars, starches, and fructans) is a critical environmental trigger for laminitis in susceptible animals.
- •Laminitis prevention requires dual approach: mitigation of metabolic predisposition (insulin resistance and obesity) and dietary/pasture management strategies to minimize carbohydrate exposure.