Mark Andrews, our intrepid colleague in England, has published a new edition of his "Equine Science Update", a handy newsletter about equine research and practice. He has written a summary of the scientific output from Waltham's Equine Studies Group in 2004 and 2005 .
Several studies considered the nutritional aspects of laminitis. One showed that grasses with lower nutritive value (such as timothy), or pastures with lower water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) levels are associated with slower fermentation in the colon. Consequently they may be less likely to cause acidosis of the hindgut contents.
Another study demonstrated the existence of marked insulin resistance and / or hyperactive insulin secretion in ponies prone to laminitis.
