Please dont over rug this winter... !!!! Just heard the weather is getting colder at the weekend, this is good news for our overweight horses as although frosty grass is reported to cause laminitis the cold will also encourage the metabolism of EMS/IR horses to speed up thus lowering insulin levels and shrinking the size of the fat pads naturally! or those of you who have only just found us here is a repeat of last years post. Winter laminitis Traditionally spring and the autumn, with their spurts of lush grass, have been the most predictable time when the incidences of laminitis, caused by sugar overload, are at their highest (45% of all laminitis cases). Recently however hoof care practitioners are reporting a significant increase in the numbers of laminitis due to sugar overload, occurring all year round. This includes more cases of prolonged and chronic laminitis. September can be a warm month to start but many horses experience a change in coat at the end of August despite the warmth of the day they are responding to the shortening of the days in preparation for the start of autumn which officially begins at the Equinox on September 22. From then on the temperatures will fall bringing with it the chance of frosts and with it the possibility of high sugar levels in grass; with a higher proportion being stored at the base of its stem to protect it from frost damage and ensure survival. It seems unusual for a naturally occurring and fairly short lived event to cause such an episode of a life threatening disease; especially at a time of year when an extra supply of energy ought to be considered a good thing. There also seems to be an ever expanding and complicated set of management systems designed to ensure that vulnerable horses are not exposed to a set of circumstances which may trigger an attack. But would it be logical to look at the events surrounding and preceding a potential episode of laminitis triggered by a crisp frosty morning? The term endocrinopathic laminitis is applied to an episode of this type of laminitis and is the final outcome of many horses previously diagnosed as having Equine Metabolic Syndrome and Cushing’s disease. Both of these syndromes are on the increase, equine metabolic syndrome is a risk factor in being overweight and as 55% of the UK horse population is now considered to be obese and the figure is set to rise over the next 5 years this has become a significant management issue. The problem with horses/ponies affected by metabolic syndrome is that the nutrients they receive are in excess or are of the wrong type to what they require to remain in good health. There are a high number of horses and ponies who require far fewer calories than they receive, with the excess then being stored as adipose tissue. The main problem is the amount of glucose/sugar which when ingested must be cleared from the blood as soon as possible. Glucose is toxic and will destroy vital organs including the brain if allowed to linger, therefore the body has a strict policy on its control and it is used or stored as quickly as possible by a transport system (GLUT 4) under the signalling of the hormone insulin. Continuously high levels of insulin in the blood stream when suddenly topped up by a single incidence of sugar overload (frosty grass) and the consequential response of a fresh release of insulin will cause a laminitic attack, though the initial problem is not the frosty grass but the abnormally high circulating levels of insulin. The UK horse population has a high number of native breeds and cross breeds as well as breeds such as Arabs which have been bred to survive in the harshest of environments, this is achieved as their endocrine signaling system transmits a different set of information about how to survive and live than does say the endocrine system of a thoroughbred racehorse. Thirty years ago most ponies were roughed off, turned out at grass to grow a coat and come in ‘ribby’ in the spring before putting the weight back on in a natural yo-yo dieting fashion. To achieve this homeostasis the endocrine system will relay a whole series of messages about food consumption and storage, energy transmission, suppression or increase of appetite, depression of energy expenditure, coat growth, hair thickness and time to shed the excess hair. Part of this system is circadian in nature (around a 24hour period) and relies largely upon light, but part of the system relies on seasonal temperatures and nutrient availability. The problem with modern horses/ponies affected by metabolic syndrome is that the nutrients they receive are in excess of the nutrients they require and this is compounded by the fact that horses are no longer expected to, travel long distances in search of food, cope with extreme or variable temperatures, or grow thick winter coats and shed them at least 4 times throughout the four seasons of the year. Winter coat growth, hair loss and shedding use a metabolic energy (AKT) pathway which involves both insulin and glucose, this means lowering circulating levels of plasma insulin and use of an excess store of energy. Over rugging horses and native ponies or long periods in the stables during the winter/autumn/early summer months will deprive them of the ability to use up this excess glucose and fat storage. The increased problem of a horse with equine metabolic syndrome is that the fat deposits of adipose tissue contain an independent endocrine signaling system with at least 4 hormones governing weight loss, energy output and weight control. Most importantly; homeostasis of weight maintenance and appetite is governed by a balanced set of signals given out both by the adipose tissue and the gastrointestinal tract. In obese horses with large adipose deposits particularly in the neck shoulders and tail area there will be an increased volume of adipose hormones released which easily outbalance the hormones released from the gut and the vital homeostasis of appetite and weight control is compromised and further weight gain is the result. As well as hormones of weight control and appetite, adipose tissue also releases a whole series of inflammatory chemicals which put the physiology of the horse into a pro inflammatory state, disrupt the normal circulation of the foot and together with circulating insulin play a major part in the onset of many disease states including laminitis. Therefore the most important goal is to control adipose tissue gain in order to limit the abnormal and high volumes of signaling hormones that disrupt appetite, influence weight gain, circulation and gastrointestinal function, raise circulating insulin levels and eventually result in an episode of laminitis. There are understandably many problems for owners in the UK wanting to leave their horses out for the winter especially those living in very wet areas or on livery yards that do not want to ruin their limited grazing, this can be challenging and below are a few practical points to manage the diet and weigh gain of your horse not only through the winter but throughout the whole year. Try not to rug too early, allow your horse to grow a good winter coat and be ‘roughed off’ or ‘let down’ for at least 8 weeks through the autumn/winter, this is vital for his metabolism, getting cold and wet causes the release of energy from fat stores. For some horses being turned out until Christmas is sufficient to use up the fat stored as adipose tissue, this avoids the worse months of January and February which can be even more cold and wet. Avoid feeding hard feed which may contain hidden sugars, some labels are misleading and describe the amount of sugar added to the feed extra to what it contains naturally. Obviously it is impossible for many horse owners to go back to rugless winter turn out as a method of adipose tissue control and this is why we as a company in conjunction with three leading bioscience universities are actively involved in the development of compounds from native plant species to help diminish adipose tissue (LAMALERT) and its detrimental effects on the health and well being of the horse. freestepsuperfix.co.uk
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 12:07:44 +0000
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