Barley and filled legs

[Overgrown Pony]

Hey guys

I started my lad on micronised barley around 6 weeks ago. I started with a Topspec cup a day and every 4th day upped it by half a cup until it reached 2.5 cups.

He also gets CoolStance Copra, Topspec Cool Balancer and a handful of Topspec TopChop (just to finish the bag). He's looking and feeling well.

He had an attack of cellulitis around 3 weeks ago. Vet out, steroids and anti-biotics and he was right as rain after 24 hrs. My YO suggested the filled back legs may also have something to do with the barley so stopped it straight away.

Started on the barley again. Again introduced it slowly. His back legs have come up again. Has a touch of mudfever same as before. Is it a coincidence and its cellulitis again? Or does anyone have experience of barley creating extremely filled legs?

He's out 24/7. Movement helps the legs come down.

Just want to pick your brains x

 

[posie_honey]

its quite a common thing
high protein/starch makes my mare's legs fill in winter too (when in less work/moving round field less etc - she still lives out 24/7 but tends to stay near shelter/eat hay over winter)
i have to take her off higher protein/starch feed and swap to fibre based feed over the winter months (unless i'm managing to ride at least every other day)

 

[carthorse]

We have to watch my horses diet. He gets lymphangitis. He has come home from college, where he is on loan, very thin so we have given him barley rings which are soaked, he has been ok on them so we are moving him onto micronised barley very slowly over the next week as they have barley at college but they didnt want to give him any in case they set his legs off. Horses are a pain.

 

[Overgrown Pony]

Thanks for your replies guys. I've taken him off the barley completely.