Avoiding fructans - fructan content in grass fluctuates during the year and even within a 24-hour period. The best times to turn out (i.e. when fructans are likely to be at their lowest) are late at night or early morning through to mid morning (the exception being frosty mornings followed by warm sun which
will increase fructan levels). Turnout on unmanaged or lush grazing and especially in spring and autumn should be avoided for those prone to laminitis due to high levels of fructans.
Laminitis Trust – some feeds now carry the Laminitis Trust Mark of Approval. These are mostly low energy, high fibre feeds. Currently this mark is not available for any supplement, complementary feed or feed/forage balancer, although that is not to say that these products cannot be of benefit to the laminitic pony or horse.
Want to know more? Send for our free leaflet, ‘Laminitis from a nutritionist’s point of view’, written by one of the world’s leading equine nutritionists, Dr. Bill Vandergrift.
