Life has a way of interfering with our intentions to exercise our horses regularly. Back when I had metabolically normal horses, I used to rent pasture along the Rio Grande River a few miles away when I got busy working during the summer. I’d visit daily, and bring them home occasionally to keep them civilized when I had some extra time. They were living the good life, and it was convenient for me.

Then I ended up with a mare and her daughter that both had metabolic problems. Kelcie was PPID/IR and her daughter had a severe form of Insulin Dysregulation inherited from her sire. Turning horses out to pasture was no longer an option, and keeping horses was no longer convenient during my busy summer work season. The only way to control their tendency to get laminitis was through a low sugar diet and exercise. Riding my horses was now necessary, even when I was busy working or had my mind on other things.

Way back in 1992 researchers showed that “After 2 weeks of exercise, ponies in the conditioned group had significantly decreased insulin and glucose indices, including peak insulin response, area under the insulin curve…” (1) As Equine Metabolic Syndrome received more attention, even more studies confirmed that exercise in Previously Laminitic horses appears to have an anti-inflammatory effect. (2) Dietary restrictions in addition to exercise produces better insulin control and weight loss. (3) (1)

A pony with hyperinsulinemia after a good workout.

Many of us have seen that exercise is just magic for the more difficult cases of Insulin Dysregulation. Once they get sound enough to get back to ridden work, getting them relatively fit and ridden 5X a week sometimes takes our worries away. My ConnemaraX had a very atypical form, being lean, with very low leptin and insulin that ran from 40-110 μU/mL; way higher than normal. Vets were stumped as to how she could be sound with insulin that high, on a well-controlled diet, which only proves we have a lot more to learn. The only time her insulin was ever in normal range, over 10 years of testing several times a year, was one autumn when I dedicated myself to galloping her 5X a week to a full sweat. She loved to gallop and should have been owned by a young fearless person who wanted to do eventing. She was never going to be the ‘little old ladies’ pleasure horse’ I had hoped for because she would get bored and make our rides more interesting. All the researchers and nutritionists I consulted said that aerobic exercise should be helpful, so I did what they said and gave up my pleasure rides for ‘conditioning’. She got so fit that fall that I had to find people conditioning endurance horses to ride with. They were pleased to find the company, as most pleasure horses could not keep up with them. I have some fond memories of exhilarating rides up a mountain with 45° slopes, standing in stirrups, grabbing mane at the poll, with our horses racing to the top. (Going down is the scary part, so don’t go too far until your horse has learned to sit and bend their hocks for the slow downhill return trip.) Then there was that time that she dug in and raced a tractor turning hay in a field. The driver was giving us fist pumps and tooting the horn. Riding a fit horse at a flat out hand gallop, while staying prepared for jackrabbits and antelope that may jump out of nearby bushes requires some intense focus that I believe is on par with Kung Fu or race car driving. That difficult, talented and bold mare pushed my riding skills to their limit and forced me to expand both skills and limits.

Fortunately I also had a horse that I could ride safely on the buckle while wool-gathering or just resting my brain. Just walking on canal roads or around the neighbor’s field took the place of a coffee break between strenuous mental tasks. I think she enjoyed our walks as much as I did. In addition to IR, Kelcie had arthritis. We arthritis sufferers know that regular exercise is essential for maintaining optimum joint function so I had two reasons to keep her in work. As her arthritis from a previous knee injury worsened, I switched to driving her in a light cart, some days only at walk. Versatile horses are a blessing, as are versatile owners who compromise and adapt to their horses needs and abilities, even when expectations and dreams do not turn out as we wished.

Horses with Insulin Dysregulation that are cannot be ridden are more difficult to manage, but options still exist. In one study, a system that restricted hay intake, while requiring them to walk around a divider fence for their next small portion was useful for weight reduction, although improvements in insulin sensitivity were slight. (4) Free full text: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jvim.14577

Creativity and adaptability are valuable resources for exercising horses that are not ridden. When to put your horse back to work is controversial and a worthy topic for a whole blog post. For this discussion, I will just say ‘when your vet suggests it is appropriate’. Take your horse for a walk around the fields or country lanes. One lady I met managed a dramatic change in her obese, laminitic pasture pet by taking him off pasture, feeding him only hay, and walking him to the mailbox every day down her ¼ mile lane. If appropriate footing is not available, put on a pair of cushioned hoof boots or therapeutic shoes with pads or pour-in gel support. Horses in rehab LOVE to get out again after being shut in their bedroom sick, just like we do. Movement is very beneficial for restoring proper circulation in the feet, as well as working out the muscle stiffness created by standing in abnormal positions to relieve pressure on sore feet. Massage and stretching exercises are extremely valuable when a previously laminitic horse is able to move around more. If you are not experienced in ground driving, now is a great time to hire a trainer to teach you. Put up an obstacle course to work in hand. Try clicker training for a low impact way to interact with your horse. Walk your horse while you walk your dogs.

Previously laminitic horses being brought back to work should avoid any movement that puts torque or twist, on the feet. No lunging, no small circles, no turns on the forehand. Straight lines and big curves are best for horses rehabbing from sore feet, on footing with some cushion.

If your horse or pony becomes difficult to manage at your facility with your other commitments, consider giving it to someone with more appropriate facilities, knowledge or time. There are some wonderful homes out there with experienced, knowledgeable people who would love to have an older horse for their grandchildren, in spite of their special needs. Of course, the greatest gift we can give our horses is good training such that their skills and manners will be appreciated by others when we can no longer care for them or when their lives would be improved by living with someone else.

1. Improved insulin sensitivity in hyperinsulinaemic ponies through physical conditioning and controlled feed intake. J. F. FREESTONE R. BEADLE K. SHOEMAKERR. T. BESSIN K. J. WOLFSHEIMER C. CHURCH, EVJ Volume24, Issue3,May 1992 Pages 187-190

2. The effect of exercise on plasma concentrations of inflammatory markers in normal and previously laminitic ponies, N. J. Menzies‐Gow H. Wray S. R. Bailey P. A. Harris J. Elliott, EVJ Vol 46, Issue3May 2014, P 317-321

3. Effects of exercise training on adiposity, insulin sensitivity, and plasma hormone and lipid concentrations in overweight or obese, insulin-resistant horses R A. Carter; L. J McCutcheon; E Valle; E N. Meilahn; R J. Geor, AJVR March 2010, Vol. 71, No. 3, Pages 314-321

4. Sustained, Low-Intensity Exercise Achieved by a Dynamic Feeding System Decreases Body Fat in Ponies M.A. de Laat, B.A. Hampson, M.N. Sillence, and C.C. Pollitt. J Vet Intern Med 2016;30:1732–1738

Exercise is preventative and necessary