Until very recently most horse owners thought that laminitis is most commonly caused by access to lush pastures with too much grass, especially when a horse is overweight. However, recent research shows that laminitis is more complicated than that, and up to 90 percent of laminitis cases are related to hormonal disorders in the horse.
Connection between hormonal disorders and laminitis
Evidence from recent research indicates that 9 out of 10 horses and ponies with laminitis have either Cushing's disease of Equine Metabolic Syndrome or both of these endocrine diseases.
Equine Cushing's disease (PPID) and Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) are the most common hormone/endocrine disorders of equines. Evidence from recent research indicates that 9 out of 10 horses and ponies with laminitis have one of these endocrine diseases at the root of their condition.
Despite the common belief that Cushing's disease is a condition of older horses and ponies, new research shows that up to one-third of laminitic ten-to-fifteen-year olds may be affected.
Cushing's disease is easily diagnosed by a blood test taken by a veterinarian. If a horse or pony is in that 90 percent of equines that have an underlying hormonal disease, it is essential to reach the correct diagnosis to be able to treat laminitis appropriately and to pro-actively prevent painful future episodes of the disease.
Research shows that when horses and ponies with an underlying hormonal disease graze and ingest soluble carbohydrates such as fructans, it causes an abnormally high level of the insulin hormone.
Insulin is responsible for moving carbohydrates from the blood into the tissues. Evidence shows that high levels of circulating insulin results in laminitis in horses and ponies with Cushing's disease and/or equine metabolic syndrome.
According to these studies, normal horses without any underlying hormonal disease are not going to be affected by grazing in lush pastures, and eating a reasonable amount of grass is unlikely to cause laminitis.
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