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19.01.2022 UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THE LATEST LAMINITIS RESEARCH. This post assumes that the reader has already read the earlier posts "Understanding Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS)" and "How to find low sugar hay and pasture". This information is relevant for horses with endocrine dysfunction (EMS and Cushings disease) and is an attempt to explain some of the breakthrough research that has changed the way we treat and prevent laminitis....Continue reading

19.01.2022 Hay for sale, not all Teff is low sugar and not all hay testing is equal. Tested low sugar Teff hay now available. Due to a poor season in the west of Victoria, we have struggled to find low sugar hay this season. This hay has been grown with irrigation along the Murray and had been tested with 10 core samples and sent to the equi analytical lab in the USA for results. ... The hay tests as protein 9.4%, ESC 3.8%, WSC 6.8% and starch at 0.4%. As is common with much Teff hay the calcium: phosphorous ratio needs to be considered when working out appropriate minerals to balance your horses diet. Price is $23 per small bale pick up at mutually convenient time from Great Western. Please note: price per bale is calculated as cost to us plus cost of testing plus a very modest amount to store and sell it. It is much cheaper to buy bulk hay amounts from producers- but we sell this as a service to those in our area for those horses and ponies who depend on a reliable source of safe hay - and who's owners can't buy or store hundreds of bales at a time. Please also note re Teff hay- while it is often low sugar and starch, I have seen results which are over 10% (ESC plus starch) and which are unsuitable for horses with dietary induced laminitis. If it is critical for your horses health then testing is the way to go. A note re testing in Australia. Most labs in Australia use NIR testing ( near Infra red) . This is not accurate enough for testing sugars if you have a horse or pony with insulin dysregulation. Wet chemistry ( picture titration and year 12 chemistry) is still the gold standard for these measurements. Currently feed central in qld send their samples for wet chemistry to equi analytical in the USA or you can send directly . If you are getting results back in a day or so you are getting results from a NIR machine- that may be all you need, but beware if you need more sensitivity.

19.01.2022 New seasons tested LOW sugar hay available! Test results are from multiple bales with hay corer and sent to Equi-analytical Lab in the USA. 1. Unimproved native pasture mix. This hay is from near Ballarat and is predominantly Wallaby grass. ESC is 4.1%, starch 0.7%. Protein is 6.2 %. WSC 10.8% Price per small bale $16 pick up. 2. Rye grass hay. This hay was grown near the Grampians and was left out after baling for a few weeks. The outside is weathered but the inside of the... bale is quality and is palatable. ESC 6.1% starch is 0.3% and protein in 11%. WSC 12.4% Price per small bale $12 pick up. We will get our pure native bales to sell in the next couple of weeks but they are often in demand and sell out quickly. Pick up of hay is from Great Western, Western Victoria. See more

15.01.2022 As the grass finally turns green in our area, the levels of sugar in the grass are now on the increase, and so does the laminitis.

14.01.2022 HOW TO FIND LOW SUGAR HAY OR PASTURE. Why do we want to feed our horse low sugar hay or pasture? The main reason most owners want to feed their horses or ponies low sugar hay or pasture (forages) is to treat or prevent laminitis. When horses have a dietary intake of sugar or starch (which is a chain of glucose units), the pancreas releases insulin to help lower blood glucose levels. High insulin levels have been shown to directly cause laminitis so feeding forage that minimis...Continue reading

14.01.2022 Understanding Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Do you have a fat horse or pony? Does your equine friend have Cushings disease or suffer from lamintis? You are not alo...ne! It has been estimated that 1 in 10 horses have Equine Metabolic Syndrome. What is Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS)? EMS is a relatively new term that vets use to describe horses or ponies that have an endocrine and metabolic abnormality which leads to an increased risk of laminitis. There is not one abnormality that defines a horse as having EMS. Rather it is a collection of risk factors which make laminitis more likely. By understanding these risk factors, it is hoped that owners and vets can prevent laminitis occurring in susceptible horses and ponies. What are these risk factors? 1. Genetics. There is probably not much we can do to change this one, but some horses and ponies have a "thrifty gene" (which probably helped their ancestors survive in lean times). These are the "good doers" or " easy keepers". Some breeds are known to be more susceptible to EMS. (eg. Ponies, Arabians, Morgans). 2. Adiposity (Fat). Fat can be stored generally or in specific regional locations (eg a cresty neck). A recent study in the UK found that more than 50% of horses were fat. Fat horses are often about 20-30 % fat which is the equivalent of a pony carrying a 70kg rider around 24 hrs a day. Fat is not just an energy storage organ, it also secretes hormones which affect the endocrine system and make laminitis more likely. 3. Insulin Dysregulation. Insulin is a hormone which is secreted to help reduce blood sugar levels after eating. High insulin levels have been shown to cause laminitis. Some horses can have an abnormally high secretion of insulin after consuming feeds and others can have a high baseline level of insulin when fasting. Both scenarios result in high blood levels of insulin which causes laminitis. 4. A high sugar diet. Modern diets (both forage and bagged) are often high in sugar. Introduced pastures in Australia have been grown to maximise meat, wool and milk production and are often high in sugar and starch. These pastures are then cut for hay which leads to high sugar and starch hay. Horses evolved to eat very low sugar diets and many modern horses eat the human equivalent of fast food. More sugar in the diet means more insulin is secreted and the greater the risk of laminitis in susceptible individuals. 5. Cushings disease (Pars Pituitary Intermedia Dysfunction - PPID). PPID describes dysfunction in part of the brain which is involved in control of the adrenal glands and metabolism. PPID horses are often lethargic, have lamintis, regional fat distribution and an abnormal hair coat. PPID used to be thought of as an old horse disease but it is increasingly being diagnosed in horses in their teens and younger. PPID can be diagnosed with a blood test by your vet. Some horses have EMS and PPID and others just have one. Either diagnosis equals an increased risk of laminitis. So is there a single test my horse can have to work out if they have EMS? No. EMS is a collection of risk factors. So if your horse has some of the risk factors a vet may diagnose EMS. Blood tests are possible for insulin levels and Cushings (PPID) and should be done if your horses is suspected of having EMS or has unexplained laminitis. What can I do if my horse has EMS or some of the risk factors? The good news is that we can do a lot to help EMS horses and ponies. The goal is to recognise they are at risk and help PREVENT laminitis. 1. Diet. We can't change our horses genetic make up but we can feed them more appropriately. The basis should be a low sugar forage (either pasture or hay), which has been tested as suitable for an EMS horse. This forage should then be either available 24 hrs a day in a slow feeder or fed every 8 hrs. Locking up fat horses with minimal forage is an outdated strategy and can make things worse (- the body thinks it is starving) and increase the risk of gastric ulceration. Slow feeders are a great way to slow consumption while still allowing trickle feeding into the stomach although there are some concerns about adverse effects on horses teeth. Grazing muzzles can also be successful in some situations. Diets need to be as balanced as possible - in Australia, mineral supplementation is almost always a good idea. Bagged feeds are often high in sugar and fat although there are some important exceptions which are useful in feeding EMS horses. If in doubt seek advice from an independant equine nutritionalist or a vet with an interest in equine laminitis. 2. Exercise. Exercise is a great way for horses to lose weight, and causes increased insulin sensitivity (which is what we want). People need to get creative on how to get their horses moving regularly. Take them for walks, build a paddock paradise track system, ride them - whatever works for owners and horses. 3. Hoof care. I believe that hooves that are trimmed in a way which is supportive to the underlying structures are less likely to suffer the catastrophic effects of laminitis. Read, ask questions and look at many different hooves. Even if you don't want to do the physical work on your own horses hooves you should be able to understand what your farrier/trimmer is doing. Look at the horses hooves who are still sound in their 20's, and look at those who are unsound early. It is said over and over but it is so true....No hoof, no horse. 4. Treatment for Cushings diease (PPID). If your horse has been diagnosed with PPID then treating with Pergolide or Prasend daily is a good idea. Can EMS horses live without laminitis? Absolutely! EMS horses can be challenging to manage. Often owners need to change multiple parts of their horse care. But it is possible to do and the benefits for our horses is enormous and sometimes life saving. Next post will be about how to find low sugar pasture and hay for your horse or pony.

14.01.2022 Great visual explanation of the sugars in different types of hay. High amounts of sugar is not good for hooves or teeth.

12.01.2022 Horses really try to do what we ask, if they are mentally and physically able. Having comfortable feet is essential for the development of straightness and all successful training. Another excellent article of Manolo Mendez.

09.01.2022 Great low sugar pasture!

08.01.2022 Low Sugar Teff Grass Hay for Sale! We are really excited to announce we now have Teff Grass Hay to sell. Teff grass has been grown for centuries in Africa as a grain and fodder source. It is still fairly new in Australia but interest is growing rapidly. It is a grass which needs warm conditions to grow in, and our hay was grown by farmers near the Murray River with irrigation. Although we were expecting it to be a low sugar hay from research, the test results are even better... than we hoped. Protein is 12.9%, ESC 1.9%, WSC 3.8%, Starch 0.9% This is an amazingly low sugar content for a hay which still has adequate protein for working horses. This hay is suitable for ALL horses (including those at risk of dietary induced laminitis). The hay is made up of soft thin stalks. Pick up price from Great Western is $18 per small bale. All hay is tested with at least 10 samples taken from individual bales per batch. Samples are then sent to the Equi - Analytical Lab in the USA for complete analysis. See previous posts for information about other tested low sugar hay for sale, and information about horses at risk of dietary induced laminitis. PREVENT laminitis with a low sugar diet.

01.01.2022 Black Range Feeds - diets for the prevention and treatment of laminitis. Tested LOW sugar hay available for purchase now. Each batch of hay (from the same paddock) has been randomly sampled by hay corer. A minimum of 10 samples are taken per batch. The samples are then sent to the Equi-Analytical Laboratories in the USA for testing.... Results are available so owners can have confidence in what they are feeding their horses. Current veterinary recommendations are that horses at risk of dietary induced laminitis from Cushings disease or from Equine Metabolic Syndrome have a diet with sugar ( Ethanol Soluble Carbohydrates plus Starch ) of less than 10%. Sugar should be less than 10% in each component of the feed. Black Range Feeds is currently selling a rye and clover mix that was grown along the Murray and irrigated. Sugar (ESC +Starch) is 5.5%. We also have an Australian native hay which has a sugar (ESC +Starch) of 3.3%. To complement the hay, we recommend owners feed a quality mineral supplement with the hay. Black Range Feeds sells Carol Laytons * Best Guess and Hoof Rescue mineral mixes. Mineral supplements are best fed in a low sugar carrier feed. Soy bean hulls (Maxisoy) and Beet pulp products (eg Speedi beet) are easy to use and safe for those needing a low sugar diet. Hay is available for purchase and pick up by appointment at Great Western ( between Ararat and Stawell). For more information on Carol Laytons mineral mixes and general equine dietary information see her website www.balancedequine.com.au