Annual lami warning

Oberon

Oberon

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The weather is milder and even those of us who believe we have 'no grass' should be aware that what we see visually may not add up to what the horses are getting :D.

I know it's only February but please, please, please be vigilant.

No one expects lami to attack but it can strike any horse - TB to Shetland.

Things that can help....

Drop the bucket feed intake
Avoid molasses or cereal feeds
Lighten the rugs
Up the work as much as possible.

Not only that - but even the best management in the world can't offset the hormonal changes in spring that can often play havoc with metabolically challenged horses.
 
Good advice Oberon. The grass is growing, the temperature has dropped and the sun is trying to get out. Watch grass intake too.
 
I have downsized feeds
On a low starch and sygar diet
have reduced rugs

I am working on upping the work :p

Spring is always a frightening time of year isn't it?
 
My old boy's soles are terrible at the moment and he is not comfortable walking on hard ground.

This is despite the Prascend and all the dietary help I can give him.

The time of year and hormones have made him footy and rather vile :(.

I am considering having him shod in front :eek:
 
I can only reiterate this. I pulled both of my ponies off grass yesterday morning as it was very mild and sunny with an overnight frost. Both had pulses which were stronger than normal. Both fine today, thankfully.
 
Oberon said:
My old boy's soles are terrible at the moment and he is not comfortable walking on hard ground.

This is despite the Prascend and all the dietary help I can give him.

The time of year and hormones have made him footy and rather vile :(.

I am considering having him shod in front :eek:
Click to expand...

My old pony has just had fronts on after nearly a decade without.
It's such a shame, but approaching retirement, I want him to be happy in his light work and this weather has played havoc with his feet.
 
Yes we are being cautious with our two! It's tempting just to turn them out 24/7 when the weather is this nice, but we're limiting them a bit - so they stayed out last night, but we brought them in tonight, and they will go out tomorrow night etc. They are both quite slim atm and I have even started to bring the older mare back into work (she has had a long time off due to unsoundness). Now that she is sound again I thought it would do her good and help her burn up some sugars, so I have been forcing myself out to long rein her almost every day for the past few weeks. They aren't shod so I keep a very close eye on whether they are footy or not - our yard is very very stony so the first clue is if they start to struggle with that. But they were both fine today, so hopefully we're managing well them well atm.
 
I'm already worried :( Hoping it rains so we don't have to move down to the summer paddocks and i get pressured into putting her out 24/7...
 
I'm keeping an eye on the amount of hay that they are eating. At the moment it's one bale every 24hrs. If this reduces, I know that they are finding more grass and the poor things will be put in a tiny paddock so that they need to eat their hay to keep hunger at bay. I have the option of borrowing some sheep too.
 
Yep, good advice. I've just switched from winter feed of beet and chaff and gone on to fast fibre as lower in calories. Will be regularly checking pulses too.
 
I am bricking myself as this will be my first spring dealing with my IR Laminitic..He is on low sugar low starch small feeds (for vits and mins) and soaked hay..I do not want him to drop any more weight as his ribs are slightly visible..He still has a slight crest but it is soft..I am too considering swapping over from night stabling to day stabling now instead...arghhhhhhhh
 
Oberon said:
The weather is milder and even those of us who believe we have 'no grass' should be aware that what we see visually may not add up to what the horses are getting :D.

I know it's only February but please, please, please be vigilant.

No one expects lami to attack but it can strike any horse - TB to Shetland.

Things that can help....

Drop the bucket feed intake
Avoid molasses or cereal feeds
Lighten the rugs
Up the work as much as possible.

Not only that - but even the best management in the world can't offset the hormonal changes in spring that can often play havoc with metabolically challenged horses.
Click to expand...

Thank you Oberon, that's really useful and timely advice.
 
Just ordered my mare's grazing muzzle. She isn't going to like it, but needs must. I feel so sorry for her knowing that her summers being out 24/7 on the paddocks are over. At least she has a fellow inmate this year, a 15.2 hh hanovarian. They will each be out in their masks for a few hours a day and in the sand turnout the rest of the time this summer. Just shows you though, two warmbloods. Not the type of horses that you'd normally expect to have the disease.
 
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Thanks for the warning. Currently going through a bout with my Cushings lady. She hasn't touched grass properly since October :( but soaked hay and chaff is all shes getting. Fleece has gone from under the rug, shes 3/4 clipped and skinny so in her heavyweight still and felt a good temp at 7pm. Probably gonna go down to medium and fleece soon though.
 
MissMistletoe said:
My old pony has just had fronts on after nearly a decade without.
It's such a shame, but approaching retirement, I want him to be happy in his light work and this weather has played havoc with his feet.
Click to expand...

I think that is very sensible.

I would rather shoe Obi than restrict his grazing at his age.
 
ATrueClassAct said:
Thanks for the warning. Currently going through a bout with my Cushings lady. She hasn't touched grass properly since October :( but soaked hay and chaff is all shes getting.
Click to expand...

I'm convinced there is a hormonal aspect at play.

Obi has been stable and healthy for months and now his soles are splatting :(

Is your girl getting enough minerals and vitamin E from her diet?
 
Oberon said:
What is grass mumps?
Click to expand...

Sorry, that's what came up on Google after a panic call to the vet on Saturday night:eek:.

The proper medical term is swelling of the parotid salivary glands. My vet said they normally expect calls like mine on a summer evening not February.

I knew she was special :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Good tips Oberon. These long months of incessant rain and flooding has been challenging and now we have overnight frosts and sunny days to add to our joy.

Everyone on my yard thinks I'm nuts because I'm currently walking mine in hand on the roads instead of riding and then riding/exercising on the soft school surface to boost their metabolism's in preparation for the spring grass growth. It's certainly been an exceptional year, I can't remember a time that was so hard on feet.

My barometer of grass calorific value is pretty good.
Cob (I-love-my-belly) Boy waits at the gate for a timid owner to open it before trying to slip through and take himself on a direct route to his stable and haynet.
I'll know when the grass comes through because he'll be otherwise engaged,- stuffing his face in the field.
 
Reduced rugging, soaking hay, increase in work....I'm trying my best to keep this under control. His muzzle is freshly padded out, but I'm not sure when to put it on tbh. And now we are forecast more snow. urgh..
 
It's almost exactly a year to the day that my little cob began with the laminitis attack that so nearly took her life. She had no access to grass at the time and no bucket feed beyond a handful of cubes to come in to, it was just a lifetime's toll of being a good do-er (lurking metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance) that finally caught up with her during a period of reduced work.

She spent over six months on box rest, some of which she was in constant pain. There was a time when she went off her feet, lay down on her side, stretched her head back and groaned with the pain. The outline of her pedal bones were visible on her soles, they were 1mm away from prolapsing through her hooves, there was a groove around her coronet you could fit your thumb in. We came very, very close to making the final call.

Exactly one year later she is sound and we are gently bringing her back into ridden work with success. I never thought we'd see the day. I can't quantify for you the emotional toll it took on us all, for months and months without a guarantee of a positive end, but the vet bill finished up at over £6000. We spent over £3000 more that we didn't really have renting, kitting out and moving her to a special plot of land that means she has turnout all year round with exactly as much or as little grass as is safe for her. Oh, and the adoption of a very small hairy companion to keep her company in her new home. :)

So please heed this warning, from Oberon and me and everyone else here. My horse didn't gorge herself to near deadly laminitis on fresh spring grass, she'd just been kept looking a little too well for a little too long. I see horses the same as she was pre-attack (tiny crest, touch of an apple bum) every single day and I cringe because I know what that little bit of weight can lead to.
 
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