Am i doing enough? Lami related!

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BlackVelvet

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I had a horrible summer last year, my gelding got lami and was diagnosed with ems, he was lucky and had no rotation and has come back into full work.
I have managed to get alot of weight off him (with alot of blood, sweat and tears!) and he looks well and happy. However i am paranoid about the lami returning, especially with him having ems.
Currently he is off grass (as the grass is very rich and his feet were warm)
He goes on the walker am for half an hour and i ride every night (1-2 hours hacking)
He only has hi fi lite for his suppliments and has soaked hay in a trickle net.
Am i doing enough? I am constantly worried about him and obsessed with checkin feet etc, i just want to enjoy my horse again!!
He is 20, was tested for cushings (negative) and is a ID x
 
Yes I would say you are doing enough :) aslong as you continue to feed soacked hay and trickle feed it and keep off grass. Is he turned out in another area? This might also help as he will be walking round and keeping moving.
 
You sound so stressed. My pony had a lami scare last year and it was horrible. The only thing I can think is that you have a good chat with your vet, and ask them. I would also contact the Laminitis Trust and speak to them, find out everything you possibly can, and then you may be able to relax and take stock. I really feel for you - I'm on permanent lami watch too, and mine's 5.
 
Yes you are doind enougj but i know that you will keep stressing anyway like i am.....boy had lami bad last year and founf out he is ir so am neurotic in keeping him perfect......:o
 
I completely understand your pain! I have one with EMS and it's a nightmare isn't it?! It does sound like you're doing enough, you're giving him daily exercise and the soaked hay is perfect to keep him occupied and happy but without giving him goodness he doesn't need.
Does he have turnout in a dust patch or is he stabled?
 
If he's stabled 24/7 apart from exercise, then he needs to be out too. The extra exercise & circulation from moving about is necessary too. Doesn't have to be grass, either muzzle, track, in an arena etc. Apologies if he is wasn't clear if he did or not.
 
I know how you feel, my mare had a acute attack last year and very narrowly avoided rotations so I think now I go slightly ott but better safe than sorry in this case! :) she goes out a maximum of 4 hours a day usually around 2 and has soaked hay and a small feed of healthy hooves with her oil, rebuilder (for the lamine) and laminitis prone supplement soon.
Very difficult because it's hard to judge how much you can give them before it's too much! I have the opposite problem with weight as well, she's underweight as she a poor doer but everytime I up the feed pulses/footyness returns!
I really do feel like I'm fighting a loosing battle half the time :( but seeing my mare go out and bomb around the field bucking and the fact she's not too hard to catch even though she's not out for long we seem to have a balance! Just hope it lasts!!
 
Il try to answer everyones questions!
He has been off grass for about 6 days as i wanted to see if the heat went out of his feet therefore i knew it was the grass..if that makes sense! Turns out his feet have been stone cold since so i know the grass is just too 'good' at the moment! Ive tried a muzzle but he just gets upset with himself, i can turn out in a sand lunge pen, but he just stands there shouting for someone to come and get him, so i figured atleast on the walker he was actually walking around! Him being in is not a long term plan but i feel it would be wrong for me to turn out when early lami signs where there, this is my first year managing a lami horse so everything is 'trail and error' but im so paranoid i get it wrong, i dont feel ready to loose him yet :( but i guess im aware how quickly lami comes on, hes no longer insured for lami so i have to be extra careful as there is no more money in the pot..
Sophie- that feed supp looks interesting, not too expensive either so may look into that thanks!
 
i have a cushings pony very prone.. i have put him on a small bare paddock with soaked hay.. i was told not to feed hi-fi lite to much sugar.. i now feed fast fibre, vit min supplement and mag ox... hes also barefoot... very streched white line,
 
BlackVelvet said:
Il try to answer everyones questions!
He has been off grass for about 6 days as i wanted to see if the heat went out of his feet therefore i knew it was the grass..if that makes sense! Turns out his feet have been stone cold since so i know the grass is just too 'good' at the moment! Ive tried a muzzle but he just gets upset with himself, i can turn out in a sand lunge pen, but he just stands there shouting for someone to come and get him, so i figured atleast on the walker he was actually walking around! Him being in is not a long term plan but i feel it would be wrong for me to turn out when early lami signs where there, this is my first year managing a lami horse so everything is 'trail and error' but im so paranoid i get it wrong, i dont feel ready to loose him yet :( but i guess im aware how quickly lami comes on, hes no longer insured for lami so i have to be extra careful as there is no more money in the pot..
Sophie- that feed supp looks interesting, not too expensive either so may look into that thanks!
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Heat in the feet isn't a reliable indicator of laminitis, in the worst sinker cases the feet are often stone cold. It's better to rely on the digital pulse, but even this may be raised in warmer weather.

You have done the right thing in taking precautions, but turning out with soaked hay will be much better for him than being stabled, maybe another fatty could go in with him. :)
 
He isnt really a 'horsey' horse and as hes riggy anyway i doubt he would appreciate another horse in his field!
Interesting you say about the heat in the feet, as its rare i ever feel a pulse but its common for him to have warm feet,
 
U can increase the amount of fibre in his feed too, with quickbeat/equibeat. This should help minimize risk of lami. Also there is a sugar free hi fi, if lite is too much sugar for ur horsey. X
 
Waltzing Matilda said:
U can increase the amount of fibre in his feed too, with quickbeat/equibeat. This should help minimize risk of lami. Also there is a sugar free hi fi, if lite is too much sugar for ur horsey. X
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i spoke to dengie about the sugar free one she said no as its higher calorie so he would get fat.... i wanted him to lose weight... hence fast fibre..
 
i don't know your field set up but have you tried pasture paradise method also known as the tract method. all you need is electric fencing and poles and set up a track so he increases his exercise to eat. if they are on their own the track does not have to be wide works well for keeping their weight down
 
I am not expert, but I feed Fast Fibre and half a daily dose of Laminator [half price from Equimins] as a preventative. Maybe you could feed this when he is out, can you give him twenty minutes of grazing in hand or would even this bring it on?
 
He still needs turnout. It may be that he can tolerate being turned out at night only. My lami prone Cushings horse is fine as long as I restrict her during the day when the grass sugars are highest. Being stabled, especially during the nicer months is no life for a horse. I would second what others have said and either turn him out on a bare patch, or create a track system and gradually reintroduce him to being turned out in it.

Also, as Touchtone says, heat in the feet is not a reliable indicator of laminitis. Digital pulses are the best warning signs. My mare could hardlywalk when she got it at Christmas, but her bad foot was hardly warm, but it had a bounding digital pulse.
 
Thank you for that touchstone! Interesting read, i do check his pulses daily and its rare i can feel them,
With the turnout situation its not a long term thing, i dont intend to leave my horse is a box but i wanted to be sure that i took him off before it caused an issue, it has been comfirmed by a vet to do this if i was concerned,
 
I use hi fi lite (normal) with my fatty, and its tge only one she'll loose weight on (not tried mollases free tho). I will check out the info on the mollases free on later :-)
Anything high fibre low starch, low sugar is good.
Also u can feed straw. V low cal and high fibre. Just have to introduce in v small amount and v slowly. Less cals than hay, but as we don't traditionslly feed it, wen they go and eat their beds they eat too much at once and colic!!!! X
 
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