Foxy: Rivalry at Summer Camp (17 page)
Read Foxy: Rivalry at Summer Camp Online
Authors: Belinda Rapley
What is laminitis?
It's a seriously painful condition which affects horses and ponies' hooves. If the sensitive tissues inside the hoof, called laminae, are starved of blood, they swell up and become really sore. If it's not treated, these laminae can die, causing the pedal bone to come away from the hoof wall and rotate.
It's most often caused by guzzling too much lush grass, which has lots of sugar in it. Overweight ponies are at particular risk, especially if they become obese. But there are other causes, too, like concussion from riding on hard ground or severe infection.
A pony with laminitis may sit back onto his hind feet. He's likely to have heat in his front hooves, and he may not want to put weight on them. Your pony's hooves will have rings around them if he's had laminitis in the past.
How can you prevent it?
Keep a close eye on your pony's diet. If he's prone to laminitis, restrict his access to lush grass and keep him fit, so he doesn't become overweight. But make sure that you don't starve him. Every pony needs to eat little and often to keep his gut happy.
A TEMPLAR BOOK
First published in the UK in 2013 by Templar Publishing,
an imprint of The Templar Company Limited,
The Granary, North Street, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1DN,
UK
www.templarco.co.uk
This ebook edition first published in 2013 by Templar Publishing
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2013 by Belinda Rapley
The right of Belinda Rapley to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
www.pony-detectives.co.uk
Cover design by Will Steele
Illustrations by Paul Nobbs, Dave Shephard and Debbie
Clark
Cover photograph by iStockphoto.com
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ISBN (ePub) 978-1-84877-982-2
ISBN (Mobi) 978-1-84877-983-9