The major concern about overweight horses- and there is a large number of them - is that they are susceptible to laminitis and founder. Laminitis is an inflammatory condition of the horse's foot that results in severe pain, and when permanent damage occurs the condition is called founder. It is important to recognize that overweight horses are more susceptible to the disease and to take precautions to attempt to prevent laminitis from developing.

However, there are two other types of horses that should be recognized as susceptible to laminitis and these horses may or may not be actually overweight. Horses with equine metabolic syndrome are insulin resistant and may or may not be overweight. However, they will usually have fat deposits in certain areas of the body, specifically the neck and on either side of the tail head. So even if a horse is not overweight, a cresty neck indicates your horse may be susceptible to laminitis. Your vet can perform some blood testing to determine if your horse is insulin resistant and if so, dietary recommendations can be made to hopefully prevent laminitis. These suggestions would likely be for a low-starch diet that consists of low-starch grass hay, low starch concentrates, and decreased amount of pasture. Equine Cushing's disease can also make horses susceptible to laminitis and the most common symptom is long hair that does not shed. If you have a horse that does not shed the winter hair coat normally in the summer, contact your vet as there is medication that can help prevent these horses from developing laminitis and foundering.