During the spring our pastures are closed for two reasons: first, we need the grass to get established and second, I’ve always worried that excessive amounts of lush, spring grass might be the cause of health issues such as laminitis.
However, according to an article on Fran Jurga’s Hoof Blog, it’s a bit more complicated. The majority of horses that experience laminitic episodes triggered by spring grass also have an underlying endocrinopathic condition.
Read more about this new way of thinking about the causes of laminitis here.
Thanks for the link! I’m not sure that the solution for every laminitic horse is a prescription for Prascend but the high incidence of Cushings is a big “wow”. So what’s the answer–have every horse tested, but if that’s the answer, how often should the test be done? Still so many questions…and it looks like keeping younger horses fit and active is a must-do! (and ourselves, too!) Stay tuned for more info….thanks again!