Best Chaff For Laminitis

Feeding a horse with a history of laminitis can be a time consuming and confusing task and one that if not done properly can have painful consequences for your horse.

Best chaff for laminitis.

It is important to consider when choosing which chaff to use what the ingredients are. The inclusion of fibre in the form of alfalfa and chaff ensures increased chewing time which is beneficial for horses or ponies on a restricted diet and can help to maintain a healthy digestive system. An equine nutritionist offers advice on the best hay to feed a horse who is at risk of developing laminitis. The laminitic horse s diet needs to be low in sugar we could get all very technical here and call sugars non structural carbohydr.

1 5 2 bodyweight hay depending on whether weight loss is needed 1 5 or not 2 so 7 5 10 kg for a 500 kg horse 3 75 5 kg for a 250 kg pony soaked for at least 1 hour then drained to reduce sugars or analysed to show combined sugar starch no more than 10. For laminitic horses and ponies it can be used with a balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement to make up a low calorie balanced diet and for older laminitic horses with dental problems as a forage replacement. In the laminitic horse exercise may not be possible. Feed chaff and hay that have a low sugar and starch level.

Grass or pasture hay preferably older hay low sugar no clover or rye that is not mouldy. Wheaten chaff small amount of lucerne chaff or oaten chaff for flavour with no grain. Diet to the rescue. Getting your horse or pony s diet right with a case of laminitis is an essential part of their care and recovery.

An equine nutritionist offers advice on the best hay to feed a horse who is at risk of developing laminitis. Hay feed approx. L mix is a chaff based feed that is suitable for those prone to laminitis with a combined starch and sugar level of only 5 25. If your horse has very recently suffered a bout of laminitis and is still sore it is best to avoid grazing completely until the animal is once again sound.

Here s what you should be feeding. Emergency diet for a horse with endocrinopathic laminitis feed. Chaff is an important part of a horses diet.