Posted: 6th March 2025 | Back to news feed
If you’re one of the hundreds or even thousands of owners in the UK whose horse or pony suffers from laminitis, you’ll be acutely aware of the dangers of Spring grass. You may not be quite as aware of the critical part that good bedding can play in helping your horse or pony recover from this horribly painful and crippling condition.
Laminitis can strike horses and ponies at any time of their lives, even if they’ve never experienced an attack before, and it’s on the increase in the UK. More and more horses and ponies are experiencing it – and not just now in the Spring, when sugars in new grass are at their highest, it can strike at any time of year and it can be caused by a number of factors.
LAMINITIS – Potential Causes
- Too much sugar-rich new grass
- Frosted grass
- Too much feed, particularly concentrates
- Obesity
- Lack of exercise
- Genetic disposition
Apart from your horse’s genetics, all these causes are areas of management for which owners are responsible. You regulate grazing in Spring; you manage your horse’s diet; you ensure they are exercised properly.
How can good bedding help you beat laminitis?
Your choice of bedding can’t help you prevent an attack of laminitis but how fast you respond to the early signs of an attack, and what you do to help your horse or pony recover, are vital to their wellbeing and their future.
There are three essential ways you can help your horse or pony, reduce their suffering and minimise long term damage if laminitis strikes:
- Call your vet the moment you suspect laminitis. This is absolutely critical. Don’t hesitate. If it’s laminitis your vet will know, and almost certainly administer an anti-inflammatory to reduce pain and heat. If it isn’t laminitis, much better to be safe than sorry.
- Bring your horse in off the grass immediately, no matter how reluctant they are to walk. Hosing hooves with cold water can help reduce inflammation while you wait for the vet to arrive.
- Box rest for a considerable period will be one of your vet’s essential and immediate treatments. And your vet will almost certainly recommend you maintain a deep supportive bed to reduce the pain and suffering, and help speed recovery to full fitness.
Many vets will actually specify Bedmax shavings for laminitic horses, for two important reasons:
Firstly for hooves: Bedmax shavings are cut larger, so every bag contains an equal mix of large, medium and small. This makes them particularly supportive and resilient. A horse or pony with laminitis needs all the support and comfort that Bedmax shavings offer, especially under the front hooves, where the pedal bone has been rotated downwards.
Secondly for overall health in the stable: If your horse or pony is confined to their stable for some weeks, it is even more important that you use a bedding that helps keep the stable environment as healthy as possible.
When your horse or pony is in their stable 24/7 it’s vital that you give them a bedding purpose-made to help you safeguard equine health – low dust, supportive, comfortable, and with the unique, naturally antibacterial power of pine to help you keep your stable as hygienic and healthy as possible.
So, keep a very close eye on your horses and ponies enjoying the grass (and the sunshine), and act fast if you see any warning signs. And even if laminitis doesn’t strike, bring them in at night to a healthy bed of Bedmax.
For more information visit bedmaxshavings.com
The Equestrian Index newsfeed is compiled from articles submitted by advertising members and expresses the opinions of those members. Watsons Directories Ltd shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies or mis-statements therein.