BEHAVIORAL-STUDIES IN HEALTHY PONIES SUBJECTED TO SHORT-TERM FORCED RECUMBENCY AIMING AT AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT IN AN ACUTE ATTACK OF LAMINITIS

The authors postulated that a period of forced recumbency during an ac ute attack of laminitis may counteract the disabling effects on the se condary epidermal laminae. On the basis of this concept a study was ma de of the behavior of three healthy Shetland ponies when placed in a b ox in which the ceiling was too low for a standing position but allowe d comfortable sternal recumbency. When the height of the box was about 125 % of the vertical distance between the withers and the sternum, t he ponies lay calmly during most of the experimental period and the ra re attempts at rising did not seem to put any major load on the hoofs. The possibility of using short-term forced recumbency as adjunctive t reatment in an acute attack of equine laminitis is discussed.