Could this be Laminitis?

Question

I'm looking to buy a new horse.Went to see a 10 year old gelding.He had some chunks alot of all four hooves.Yet he stood and moved good and walked good.He wasn't lame.She picked up his front feet.But she told us not to give him any sweet feed or grain because the sugar would give him too much energy and it would make him fat.I dont think hes fat.She said if anything just give him plain oats and that he needed Biotin for his feet.She says he eats only hay.Any ideas other then having our farrier check it out?

Answer 1

I would make sure to have a vet and farrier check him out, of course.

Just because he needs biotin doesn't mean he has laminitis. It could just mean he has soft feet. My tb gelding needs it, not for laminitis just to help strengthin the hoof wall. Besides laminits has to do with the bone inside the hoof and I'm not so sure biotin has much to do with that.

Also a lot of horses shouldn't have sweet feed. He could just be an easy keeper with a lot of energy. I had a mare once that only had hay because if on grain especially sweet feed she was completely crazy.

Good Luck but dont forget the golder rule of have a professional look at him!

Answer 2

If there is any question, you should have a pre-purchase exam done and have the hooves radiographed.

Personally, I don't think that ANY horse should have sweet feed.  Most of the oats, corn and whatever, just pass right through the gut and are not used for nutrition.  A low sugar pelleted food is much better.  However, a high quality hay, eaten through out the day, is better than any concentrate like grain or pellets.  It is more natural for the horse, better for the gut, and less likely to cause ulcers.  To do this the best, you need to have the hay analyzed so you can know if and how much to supplement with grain/pellets.  Personally, our horses get very little at dinner time...just enough to add to their daily feed through dewormer.

Answer 3

Is the pasture he currently resides in rocky? Rocks are a menace to hooves.

A good way to check if the horse has ever foundered is to look at the hoof wall. If there are thick rings, it could be an indication. (Laminitis damages the coronary band and leaves a "scar" on the hoof, much like when you bang your cuticle and a spot of your nail grows in white as a result. Only founder is, of course, much more serious.)

Answer 4

I don't think it's laminitis, but I agree, a handful of grain and hay IS NOT enough, and if he does a lot of work, maybe some more energy would be better. He sounds like he doesn't get enough to eat. If you end up buying him, give him some grain so he can fill out, and have the farrier come. Also, if his feet look dry, then use oil about once a week, which will also make a difference.

Answer 5

I agree with her. Don't give him any sweet feed or grain. Also watch the grass in the morning. The grass has dew and sometimes the grass can be sweet. Maybe the horse stepped on something or is very sore. He might have a stone in his hoove.

Answer 6

If is he skinny, he should be having some sort of grain. Pelleted grain doesn't have any sugar, or much at all. If she gets a good feed, she shoudn't have a problem with his energy. A working horse needs more than just a handful of oats and hay.

If your not planning on having a Vet come out, do so anyways. I would get x-rays done.

Answer 7

You do not describe anything that would indicate laminitis.  Horses have different nutritional needs and he sounds like an easy-keeper which is good.  I would have him checked by my vet and farrier.  I'm unsure why she made the comment about the biotin - ask her "why" he needs it in her opinion.   Ask for his medical records or to talk to her vet and farrier.  Ask them if he has a history of problems with his feet?  Get as much information as you can.  What they say is true - no foot - no horse.

Answer 8

Chipped hooves aren't a sign of laminitis, and it doesn't sound like he has an active case.  His owner's comments about sweet feed could be a personal idiosyncracy, or could be because he has a history of being prone to founder.

Look at his hooves.  Are the outside walls smooth or does he have rings?  Rings are a sign of chronic founder.  Were his feet overgrown?  That's how chips and cracks generally form; they're usually pretty fixable, especially chips.