19 April 2017

Laminitis, weight management and enrichment seminar

Setting the standard for the year, last week's (12th April 2017) veterinary seminar was a relaxed, enjoyable and incredibly informative evening for all!

Head of Sanctuary and Care, and Redwings’ Veterinary Surgeon Nicky Jarvis recommended a proactive approach when it came to laminitis. She broke through the science – with the aid of Velcro and X-rays – to clearly explain why laminitis occurs, as well as suggesting practical prevention measures aimed at the horse owner.

Education and Campaigns Manager Andie Vilela highlighted the challenges we face in weight management; factors such as over-rugging, overestimating exercise levels and an overwhelming choice of feeds all make accurate feeding difficult.

The goal for every horse owner no matter workload or management is to achieve an ideal weight year round. Your horse will tell you if grazing needs to be restricted and exercise upped if you get into the habit of fortnightly assessing fat cover on your horse. Watch expert Equine Nutritionist Teresa Hollands’ demonstrate how to body condition score here and for practical advice on weight management, click here to download our guidance (PDF 973 KB).

Finally, Head Vet Nurse Anna Clarke brought to life her article from Equine Health magazine on environmental enrichment with her wealth of experience managing horses on box rest in the Redwings Horse Hospital. For more inspiration you can access Anna’s full article here.