Inflammatory Ingredients That Can Stack Up To Lamintis.

So what causes Laminitis in Horses, Ponies and Donkeys?

Understanding Laminitis and How to Support Recovery

Laminitis is a serious and painful condition in horses. Although there are many possible triggers, such as concussion, post-surgical stress, pregnancy and lactation, supportive-limb overload, and metabolic issues that make some horses more prone, the most common cause here in New Zealand is pasture-induced laminitis.

In simple terms, the horse has taken in too much sugar from the green, actively growing grass and pasture plants that they are grazing. That fresh, innocent-looking pasture can push any horse into laminitis, and you do not need a “sensitive type” or a known metabolic case for it to happen.

Once the inflammatory process begins, hidden dietary triggers continue to fuel the cycle. So, if your horse is not recovering the way they should, this is the first area to examine.

It is also important to be aware of additional inflammatory ingredients that can accumulate and hinder recovery. Such as Lucerne Hay and Chaff, along with fermented grasses like baleage and haylage and bagged mixes, as well as pellets and musleies, as although they might be low in sugar, they can be surprisingly high in inflammatory ingredients, and certain feed mixes can all increase the inflammatory load. When several of these overlap, they can keep the horse stuck in a low-grade inflammatory state, which slows or even prevents recovery.

What You Can Do to Help Your Horse Recover Faster

To support a faster recovery, remove as many inflammatory triggers as possible and return to a basic diet, feeding in a manner that mimics a horse's natural eating habits on scrubland. Their entire digestive system is designed around this type of low-sugar, high-fibre forage.

You can replicate this in a domestic setting by feeding low-sugar meadow hay as the primary forage, fed through a small-holed slow-feeder haynet. If you are unsure whether the hay is genuinely low in sugar, soak it in clean water for about an hour to further reduce the levels. Make sure you use soaked hay within 24 hours, because leaving it any longer increases the risk of mould developing.

For step-by-step instructions, practical guidance, and detailed support, you can follow the full laminitis recovery plan here:

https://www.naturalhorse.co.nz/laminitis-recovery-info

We hope this helps you to help your horse recover as quickly as possible.