Comfort Muzzle

03/29/2022

Grass sugar content fluctuates with the time of day, season, and weather. Timing pasture access for horses with EMS, IR, or a history of laminitis can help prevent serious problems.

03/24/2022

Insulin dysregulation can trigger laminitis, and it’s more common than you might think. Here’s a look at how to help prevent it in your horse.

10/08/2021

How often do we actively seek to prevent laminitis instead of triage it? I know I harp on the leading cause of laminitis in horses -endocrinopathic or metabolic in nature- but are we aware of some of the more subtle signs so we can watch those horses that are at risk closely?

In this week's podcast episode, Dr. Alicia Nolfi and I touch on a variety of aspects of laminitis, including early warning signs, diagnostics, treatment approaches, and shifting our focus to prevention instead of simply rushing to deal with the aftermath.

You can hear the episode on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.libsyn.com/laminitis-treatment-and-prevention

09/29/2021

LONG OR SHORT GRASS?

I'm asked this question a lot.

Firstly - for what type of horse?

If we're talking about an obese horse, or one with EMS or prone to laminitis, then you'll be concerned about the calorie intake, and WSC (sugar and fructan) intake.

Very short, overgrazed grass in a restricted area (ideally tracks rather than rectangular) with supplementary hay is a better choice than AD LIB healthier pasture with longer grass, for an obese/EMS/laminitic horse.

Why? because on the shorter grass their TOTAL calorie and sugar/fructan intake will be LOWER than on the ad lib longer more mature grass.

However, the longer more mature grass STRIP GRAZED may be an even better choice.

The answer really does depend on your horse, their situation, and your facilities/yard.

❌ It's not about how much sugar is in the grass, per kilo.

✅ It's about how much sugar/fructan and calories your horse can eat over a set period of time!

Always monitor your horse and assess the suitability of their environment from them themselves.

Please share to help spread the word 🐴🍏

(ps this very info is an entry in the Equine Nutrition Learning Centre at http://equinenutritionist.com/equine-nutrition-learning-centre)

09/24/2021

❗ LAMINITIS WARNING FROM VETS ❗

Vets are reporting that they are seeing a sharp increase in cases of laminitis.

🌦With the majority of the UK experiencing rain and periods of sunshine, this creates the perfect conditions for rapid grass growth.

🐴 Laminitis is an extremely painful condition and can cause permanent damage to the hooves. It affects structures called sensitive lamellae that are located inside the horse’s hoof. The sensitive lamellae form a strong bond to hold the pedal bone in place within the hoof.

Laminitis causes the sensitive lamellae to stretch, weaken and become damaged which can cause the pedal bone to move within the hoof. In extreme cases the pedal bone can even pe*****te through the sole of the hoof which is excruciatingly painful. In such cases, euthanasia is likely to be the only treatment option to end the horse’s suffering. 🌈

Horses carrying excess weight or have a health condition such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) are at an increased risk of laminitis so grazing may have to be restricted.

👀 Watch out for the subtle signs as shown below and if you have any concerns contact your vet.

For further advice, including prevention visit: https://www.bhs.org.uk/advice-and-information/horse-health-and-sickness/laminitis

09/22/2021

07/15/2021

Several new drugs have recently emerged for more successful treatment of equine metabolic disease. At the NO Laminitis! 2021 Virtual Conference (August 12-15), Dr. Kellon will discuss newer treatment protocols, including those using cabergoline, bromocriptine, glyburide and canagliflozin for Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) or Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID). Registration and other details at nolaminitis.org.

04/06/2021

03/31/2021

Obesity is the primary contributory factor in laminitis diagnosis. It is crucial to be aware of your horse’s weight at all times, but especially when the spring grass coming through.

Key things to be honest about with your horse’s management. Are you:

▫️Over rugging
▫️Under exercising
▫️Over feeding
▫️Got the correct grazing for the type of horse you own.

Here at Trickle Net we also have some great tools to help you:

Take a look at our post and get your horses weight assessed by us.

Use our online calculator to discover how much forage your horse or pony actually requires:

https://tricklenet.co.uk/forage-calculator/

Make the changes NOW

The Laminitis Site Sharon Hunt Eventing Redwings Horse Sanctuary Bransby Horses - Rescue and Welfare Science Supplements - The Equine Nutrition Specialists The Liphook Equine Hospital The British Horse Society TopSpec Vetrition

03/26/2021

How much hay do you feed?

At last, here it is! A ground breaking new interactive online resource for all of you. The Trickle Net Forage Feeding Calculator.

This is a much needed FREE tool available for every horse owner, and we are inviting you to try it right now. This calculator provides a good guide on feeding your horse while factoring in how much hay you currently feed with turnout time and pasture type. We have packed in as much science as possible and the data is qualified with references to the research we have used.
Developed with guidance from Louisa Taylor BVM BVS (Hons) BVMedSci (Hons) MRCVS of Vetrition we believe this tool could help change the way we feed our horses for the better.
So please tell your friends to try it out too!
You'll also find a wealth of information and useful links provided by our supporters, with answers to some of your nutritional and management questions.
Thanks go to Louisa who has been an excellent guide and educator throughout the development, and also to Trickle Net's own Ollie who has been drowning in coding and tech glitches for weeks. Thanks also go to our supporters. Redwings Horse Sanctuary British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) Sharon Hunt Eventing The Laminitis Site and CARE equine education
This has been a huge project for us, though we feel it is very worthwhile and hope you all find it useful. Now we know why nobody ever did this before! 🥴 It's still a work in progress as we add more information and make improvements. Please let us know if you find an error or have any useful comments.

To celebrate, lets do a giveaway! We'd like you to go use the calculator and screenshot your results. Come back here and comment with your screenshot and your feedback. We will pick 3 random winners to receive a free Trickle Net!
Ready.... steady...... calculate!

www.tricklenet.co.uk/forage-calculator

Bransby Horses - Rescue and Welfare Equestrian Business Your Horse Magazine Your Horse Live Rainbow Equine Hospital Sophie Ostler Equine - SOequine Stanley House Veterinary Group Oakham Veterinary Hospital Equine ETN Magazine - Equestrian Trade News Science Supplements - The Equine Nutrition Specialists The Liphook Equine Hospital NKC Equestrian Training The British Horse Society Practical Equine Nutrition Derby House TopSpec Baileys Horse Feeds