A new generation of concentrates helps minimize the starch and sugar intake that can set off the cascade of events that ends in laminitis. Formulating the ration of a horse at risk of laminitis is a balancing act. The goal is to reduce sugars, starches and other non-structural carbohydrates that can cause metabolic disturbances while providing adequate calories and nutrients. In some cases, this can be accomplished relatively easily. "A horse at risk of laminitis because he is very obese might do well with just hay and a balancer supplement to provide vitamins and minerals or a 'light' feed designed for overweight horses," says Kathleen Crandell, PhD, a nutritionist with Virginia Tech's Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension (MARF) Center. "He'll lose weight, but that's the primary goal for that horse at that time."
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