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Herbal Medicine Fact Sheet by Les Rees
Laminitis
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Laminitis (Founder) is an extremely painful condition affecting the laminae of the foot and ponies are particularly susceptible to it. Inflammation in the hoof causes the pedal bone to rotate and even penetrate the sole if left untreated. And once a pony gets it there is a high likelihood that it will get it again.
Over indulgence on lush grass particularly in spring, excessive grain intake, heavy irregular exercise on hard ground, excessive weight load on one leg, stress, gut problems, retained foetal membranes & temperature changes are often the precursors of laminitis.
Early signs are heat in the hoof subsequently followed by lameness due to the build up of inflammation and pressure on the pedal bone.
From the holistic point of view the problem lies in the circulatory system and the delivery of blood supply to the lower limbs. Hooves are made up mostly of bone and connective tissue and need far less blood supply than the muscles used to power movement. They’re located towards the top of the leg near the major blood vessels and the heart where they have easy access to adequate blood supply needed for speed and flight responses.
Trauma to the lower leg region can be slow to heal due to low levels of blood supply available to aid damaged cells. This also makes inflammation slow to dissipate causing pressure on the pedal bone and forcing it to rotate.
Under normal conditions the action of the hoof hitting the ground acts as a pump that aids blood supply to the foot. When the foot hits the ground, it pushes he pedal bone downwards compressing blood vessels, as the foot comes off the ground it releases the compression and aids the movement of blood flow.
When a horse has laminitis, it makes movement extremely painful so it is inclined to move as little as possible. This exacerbates the situation because the pumping action of normal movement is no longer available for the movement of blood supply.
Prevention/Treatment:
- Restricted grazing practices particularly during lush growth periods.
- Lock up areas should provide enough room for plenty of movement and the ground should be soft.
- Provide plenty of roughage in the diet.
- Herbal medication to improve circulation, blood cleansing and improve digestion.
- Always provide access to clean water.
- Do not exercise intermittently on hard surfaces.
- Make sure that fencing is adequate to ensure that clever ponies cannot break into areas of lush pasture or gain access to feed bins.
- Provide shelter belts for the provision of shade during hot weather and protection from cold winds etc.
- After foaling check that foetal membranes are present.
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