All those with laminitics - advice

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pottamus

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Hi, looking for some thoughts and ideas really...from those with laminitics.
My lad got laminitis with pedal bone rotation in one front this year back in August. He has had one other mild twinge in 2007 but I now need to take better action with the spring looming. He has lost loads of weight and is down to an ideal weight now that the vet is happy with.
He is currently on about three quarters of an acre of trashed land and he has been on the same area for over a year apart from when on box rest and rehabilitation.
I just wondered if you could kindly let me know:
what sized paddocks you have your laminitics on
what you class as the danger months when grazing is heavily restricted (or all year)
how you manage your horses in general, particularly those that need to live out 24/7 (my lad has copd)
Many thanks
 
I have two Laminitis/Cushing cobs.
They are out in the day and in at night Summer and Winter.
From March to October they are in a fith of an acre mature grass paddock and the poos are picked up eah day. In November to February there paddock is extended by about 3 metres by 1 metre each day so that they get some long grass (electric fencing moved). Again poos picked up each day.
In the evening they get one scoop of bran, one scoop of High Fi Light, 1 mug of Lo-cal, 1 measure of Formula4Feet (Developed by Robert Eustace of the Laminitis Trust), 1 measure of boiled linseed, cod liver oil and dampened with water.
They are ridden at a gentle pace doing up to 4 hour hacks.
Each evening they get 3 slices of 1 hour 2 year old mature grass soaked hay.
They are wormed every 3 month with special care to ensure twice a year that they are wormed for enysted small red worms as these can cause an infection when they emerge causing laminitis.
It is important to pick up the poos daily to prevent worms spreading and cauing the grass to die off under the poos and allow weeds to take over.
The most important thing is to keep their weight well down so that you can see their ribs and give them as much excercise as possible.
Becaue both have Cushings they are on 250 micrograms of Pergolide.
 
In addition to the great advice from Peter the only other thing I would add is that there is some evidence that yea sacc 1266 (I think thats the number) can help prevent laminitis. Its suppose to help support the hind gut to prevent the build up of proteins etc. I feed it to mine during the summer months purely as a preventative.

You can get it in the Dengie supplement range.
 
This is how I manage mine....
020620094108.jpg


Basically my laminitic doesn't have any real amount of grass. He has sparce pickings of it and ad lib soaked or late cut hay all year round.
 
My pony is out overnight during winter on 20 acres of rough pasture for 12 hours in a muzzle, feed two/three sections of long soaked hay in a small holed haynet when in and bedded on Megazorb which is dust free.

As soon as she starts putting on weight I restrict her turnout and she goes got for 6 hours, I up her hay slightly.

She is fed a handful of Happy Hoof and a vitamin and mineral supplement, unless she needs to gain weight and is worked four times a week.
 
Forgot to add:

Mine gets Fast Fibre once a day. He is hacked out now and then but not in regular work due to my lazyitis. He lives out like the above 24/7/365 with a shelter. I keep him roughly a condition score 2/3 ie I can see his ribs rather than just feel them.
Like this...
260520094074.jpg
 
Mine also live on a track system, albiet on a larger scale and more grass in the winter, On a much much smaller scale in the summer ( from April to November)
They are restricted all year, my shetland is muzzled until the grass is well eaten down.

Never feed hay on the field, but they have plenty when in during the day.

All fed the same SS Lucie Stalks, Speedi-beet, Alafalfa Pellets and Total Eclipse
 
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