Winter Laminitis

Winter Laminitis - I have been reading quite a few posts recently on Winter Laminitis and thought I would share my experiences with what I am finding with Urban Horse Rocket Roo at present. Roo was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease / PPID when he was just turning 9. He is now 10 plus years older and every year I have been learning more and more to try to manage his condition. Roo had his first and what I believe to be his only bout of true metabolic laminitis in January 2019. He was out on grass 24/7 at the time and luckily I noticed the laminitis signs early so i managed to get him back up and running by March / April 2019. This initial bout of laminitis really was a 'wake-up call' for me to drastically change the way I managed him.

The most crucial change I made with Roo’s management that has really helped him was to simply take him off the grass and build him his own track system. He has had really limited access to grass since early 2019 and is mainly fed beautiful quality low sugared wrapped hay 24/7. Another factor I have always found key for his soundness is lots of movement. He is also on Prascend and has his ACTH levels tested twice a year.  

Since early 2019 Roo has had slight footie days which tend to always happen more in the winter. November 2020 we had a warm wet spell followed by a cold snap up in Cumbria. I rode out one day and all was fine. The next day I rode out and he was really footie and wanting to pick to the verges so I stopped, got off and walked him back. Of course, I spend hours thinking about Roo’s management (it can be exhausting at times) and logically what could have caused this footieness. Other than internal gut changes I concluded there were 4 potential factors that had changed over the last week. 

•             There was a frost the night in-between

•             He had bruised / hurt himself the day before

•             I had started this year’s hay

•             I had trimmed him the weekend before 

I ruled out the trimming, as he had been fine all week after the trim, I also ruled out the bruising to his sole as he wears hoof boots. That left either the cold snap or the new hay. My gut feeling was it was the cold affecting his circulation - I had wrapped his hooves and legs throughout the backend of winter 2019 as I was beginning to suspect the cold really affected his lower limbs mainly in his front hooves. Just to be sure, I sent this year’s hay off for testing even though it always comes from the same farm and I have had it tested in the past. The results came back once again as really low levels of ESC / WSC and ideal for feeding Laminitics (ESC is a measure of the very simple sugars and WSC is a measure of the ESC plus the more complex sugars present in the hay sample). Therefore, I have started to simply wrap Roo’s hooves and lower limbs again whenever it is around 4C and below. And so far so good - even throughout the snow / frost / cold spell we are experiencing in Cumbria at the moment, Roo has been sound throughout. 

I know it does seem crazy that a “roughty toughty coblet” has to have his hooves and lower limbs wrapped and his body rugged, but it works for Roo. I have also found fully clipping him years ago was the easiest way of managing the lethargy and sweating when his hair became so thick and the warm / milder days were just too much for him. Therefore, my findings are cold / lack of circulation is definitely a factor that can cause footiness / lower limb lameness. 

Roo lives out 24/7 on the track system with access to a stable when the temperature is above 4c. Once the temperature is below 4c I have found the only way to keep Roo’s hooves and lower limbs warm enough is to stable him and wrap his hooves and lower limbs at night. I used to stress loads about stabling him and the lack of movement being negative for his mental health and his circulation. For a horse that was never stabled for more than one hour in his life Roo has really embraced his new found creature comforts. He is the first to want to dive into his stable when I arrive at night and most of the time the door isn’t locked when I am going in and out of his stable but rarely does he ever push the door open to wander out. I am still an advocate for horses living out 24/7 with access to shelter but stabling Roo when the temperature drops is really the only way I have found of keeping him warm enough to manage his winter laminitis.   

When the temperature drops below 4C I tend to use a mixture of products to wrap Roo’s 4 x hooves and lower limbs to help keep them warm but without over cooking them. There are many off the shelf style turnout chaps such as the Equilibrium Hardy Chaps or Close Contact Chaps. And also the indoor style leg wraps such as the Back on Track Quick Wraps or Catago Stable Boots. None of these quick and easy to apply outdoor chaps or indoor stable boots fit Roo’s wide cobby legs as they are all too narrow and none of them will reach around his legs to fully close them. Because of this I had to think outside the box a little more to fully kit Roo out. 

During the DAY, Roo is out on the track system with access to a stable and hardstanding feeding area. He has Scoot Hoof Boots on with pads and Equ StreamZ Bands. Then on top of this he has either Back on Track or Catago Fir-Tech Infrared / Ceramic Leg Wraps where I have had velcro tabs sewn on so they stay put without having to bandage over the top. I have also had waterproof almost like human walking gaiters made up to go over everything. These are pulled down over the Scoot Hoof Boots and leg wraps and really help to create a waterproof and warm sealed unit. He often has his Cool Heat Rug on his main body as well. 

During the NIGHT when the temperatures drop, Roo is stabled and has Cloud Hoof Boots on. He also has the Back on Track or Catago Fir-Tech Infrared / Ceramic Leg Wraps mentioned above. Or I have been using the Magnoease Magnetic Wraps which have really been helping stimulate his blood flow whilst keeping his lower limbs warm. With a stable rug on if needed.

Now that I have finally worked out how to fully manage Roo’s winter laminitis it now means I too can enjoy these dry crispy days where there is no rain or mud. I will admit none of Roo’s management is easy and he takes hours of my time every day but to see him smiling and being as cheeky as ever makes the hard work and daily broken back worthwhile. He will always be managed / fed as any other laminitic horse but his kryptonite is truly the cold and the negative impact it has on him. 

Author Carolyn Hymers - Urban Horse

The video below is Roo in November 2023 sporting his daytime Winter Laminitis attire whilst having his daily 30 minutes morning play time in the main field and as you can see the "Big Lad is loving life"..