23
September 2017 THE HORSE TheHorse.com
ISTOCK.COM
CHRISTA LESTÉ-LASSERRE, MA
O
wning an easy keeper can be a blessing and a curse. On the one
hand, there's the bliss of lower feed bills. On the other, the looming
threat of laminitis. It's particularly challenging when one of these
"air ferns" becomes injured or lame and can't work off his weight.
Dropping from high levels of exercise to little or no exercise can wreak
havoc on metabolism.
The last thing you want, on top of the lameness, is for your injured horse to pack on the
pounds. Weight exacerbates not only metabolic issues but also musculoskeletal ones. So here
are some pointers for rehabbing horses while also watching their weight.
Unsound and
Overweight
How can you keep your
metabolically efficient horse
healthy when he's laid up with
injury or chronic lameness?