Buying a horse with Laminitis

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Sticko

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Haya guys i need some advice.

I am not a complete novice rider and can handle my strong horses but ever since an accident i had a few months back my confidence is shot. Im looking for my first horse and havn't had much luck.

I found one a few days back who was perfect. Gourgeous looking, fantastic temperment and not spooky at all, i went on a hack with him and we cwaited to cross a level crossing and he didn't even flinch as a high speed train went past. I really do think he is perfect for what im looking for. But he has recently come down with laminitis, hes on the road to recovory but i just need to know if i should still buy him?

What i was thinking af doing was waiting till he is completly cleared of it and get a vet certificat showing this and then reevaluate the situation?

What do you guys think?

Thanks :)
 
Not sure what to make of this. If he was part way through an attack of laminitis he should have been on box rest and not hacking out, particularly on a road.

If he is perfect for you and if you have the facilities and knowledge and if the laminitis is reflected in his price then I might say go for it. It would depend on the degree of damage done and also on the reasons for the laminitis. If it is a weight issue that you can control then not so bad, but if it is something more complicated, ie allied to cushings, then I would definitely pass him by and keep looking.
 
I wouldn't buy a horse with lami, once they've had it they are likely to get it again. If you are keen to buy him then I would expect him to be at a greatly reduced price.
 
I understand it as having got laminitis after trying.
Only problem I can see is the length of box rest needed to recuperate from this.
Keep looking in the mean time but I would want the price knocked down and an assessment of the damage to the feet.
I wouldn't let it put me off as the grass is very powerfull this year.
 
Very difficult. First of all what do you know about the condition yourself? Do you know how to manage a horse that's recovering? What type of grazing do you have? So many questions you need to find the answers to before you even think about what stage the horse is at regarding recovery.

If you decide to go ahead get an independent vet to check out the horse first. Not a vets certificate from their vet. And be there when the vet looks at him. Is he perfect because he is not yet recovered?
 
I think it depends on why he got the laminitis, how severe it is and whether you have the facilities to manage the horse properly. If the horse is fat or just getting too much/too good grass and it has been caught early then I would probably still consider it if I really liked the horse. You should be aware that it may be a fair while until he can be worked though as there may be changes in the foot that need time to resolve. You'll also have to be very careful in your management as once they have had lami they are much more likely to get it again. Some horses cannot cope with grass at all through spring and autumn and you'll need to be very careful with his diet to make sure he's getting everything he needs without becoming overweight. If you do go ahead I would be asking for a reduction in price to take the extra care he will need into account. If you are not 100% sure you can manage him correctly and/or not 100% loving this horse then I would probably walk away - caring for a lami prone beast can be a lot of extra work and is certainly stressful at times!
 
Thanks guys, im seeing how he is getting on today and we are making our decition.

We didn't relise he had the onslaught of laminitis when we where riding.

Thanks for the advice :)
 
For me, it would depend on quite a few things..
Is this is the first attack he has had? You may never find out the truth on this one.
The size of the horse. Ponies and lightweight horses stand a better chance of a full recovery than heavier horses.
Has the horse been xrayed to establish whether there is any rotation of the pedal bone?
Laminitics need very careful management for life. It is a massive undertaking and you need to read everything you can on the subject so that you can make an informed decision.
 
No, not a chance.
We bought one came down with laminitis after vetting and was paid for, but before we fetched her home. Nightmare. Spent around a year trying to get her feet back looking something like a reasonable hoof, luckily she wasnt bought to be a riding horse or Id have been sat twiddling my thumbs for a long time.
Thankfully her hooves are stable now, but she will need ongoing, careful observation and management. A lot of stress and hassle Id rather have done without tbh.
 
My view is that a horse has either had laminitis or it hasn't had it yet!

Basically, many horses have low grade laminitis here in the UK and people just don't realize it as the symptoms are either extremely mild or masked by shoes. You only have to look at horses which have event lines in their hoof, a sure sign that laminitis may have been present, yet the owner says they have never had an attack.

Obviously an acute attack is self evident and can be life threatening if the correct treatment isn't taken as a matter of urgency.

Laminitis need not be a death sentence any more and complete recoveries are on the up.

If you feed the correct diet, and by this I mean both bucket and grazing, and exercise appropriately, then laminitis need never be a problem.

I tend to treat all our horses as lamanitics even though we only ever had an attack once, several years ago, which was enough for us to change our management systems in an attempt to ensure that it didn't happen again.

So in answer to the question, yes I would probably buy him provided the laminitic attack was the only issue, as I can cope with that.
 
Pale Rider said:
My view is that a horse has either had laminitis or it hasn't had it yet!

Basically, many horses have low grade laminitis here in the UK and people just don't realize it as the symptoms are either extremely mild or masked by shoes. You only have to look at horses which have event lines in their hoof, a sure sign that laminitis may have been present, yet the owner says they have never had an attack.

Obviously an acute attack is self evident and can be life threatening if the correct treatment isn't taken as a matter of urgency.

Laminitis need not be a death sentence any more and complete recoveries are on the up.

If you feed the correct diet, and by this I mean both bucket and grazing, and exercise appropriately, then laminitis need never be a problem.

I tend to treat all our horses as lamanitics even though we only ever had an attack once, several years ago, which was enough for us to change our management systems in an attempt to ensure that it didn't happen again.

So in answer to the question, yes I would probably buy him provided the laminitic attack was the only issue, as I can cope with that.
Click to expand...

Completely agree with this.

If owner says that it was a single only one off acute attack caused by something identifiable ( overweight, got into feed room, that sort of thing) and X rays show no or very minimal structural changes, then I would go for it. Esp if your vet or farrier look at the horse and confirm it.

But only if you are happy to be tough to be kind to the horse and only if is (as most but not all lami horses are) a good doer who will still thrive on a regime which will give lots of low sugar fibre.

I find lami prone pony easier to manage than my neighbour did her pony with very bad sweet itch or another he horse who head shook.

Edited to add it would impact on the price tho as it will require more careful management and that should be reflected in the price. Maybe 25% lower?
 
I took on Ted, knowing he was a chronic laminitic (he was a freebie though) and never had a single attack with him. We kept to a very strict regime and all was well. Recently, new liveries have come onto our yard with an aged sec A lead rein pony. They are very, very novice. The pony came with a list of his usual routine (and a box of 100 bute, that would tell a story to me, lol) but they have had to vary it slightly. Pony is not overweight in the slightest but, early last week, the dreaded lami struck. Luckily, somebody on the yard noticed him walking just as they were turning him out, they are novice and just don't/didn't know what to look for.
In essence, it's a long winded way of saying, if you know what you are doing, laminitis can be managed, if you don't, just walk away as it's not fair on the horse.
 
No no no! My mare was very quiet/calm in the weeks leading up to her lami as well so you have that to consider as well. You won't be getting a horse in work but one to bring back into work with all the potential problems laminitis can bring on (my mare has a slipping stifle now as well due to box rest) and one you will have to very carefully manage so no I wouldn't even at a reduced price!
 
Personally id want blood tests done and if he had ems or cushings then no i wouldnt touch with a barge pole im afraid! I have one with ems and its a constant headache and also not insured anymore!
 
No. The horse may have been quiet on the hack simply because his feet hurt. Get him home and get him well, your confidence giver might not be.

Recent laminitis attack = recently damaged structures in the foot. Not a good way to embark on a new ridden partnership.
 
You do need to give this a lot of thought. Like others have mentioned I would want to know what brought on the attack, what degree of rotation,was this the first attack and how good his feet are.

It has been 3 years since my mare had a lami attack, she's a 16.1hh warmblood cross. However, her management for the last 3 years has been very strict - she's exercised every day, stabled every night, 5hours of muzzled turnout, soaked hay etc. also her feet are brilliant.

If you can manage strict management and all your questions are answered then it's up to you.
 
I honestly believe all horses are potential laminitics it is just about how they are managed.

If they have had it in the past without careful management they will get it again...almost certainly.

Many struggle to manage them on a livery yard as you need restricted grazing as specific no sugar, no carb type feeds. You need to have a regular exercise routine to keep their metabolism going and watch the grass like a hawk as even an hour or two on good grass may tip the balance to a full blown attack.

If you are willing (and able) to research lami and can provide a suitable routine and environment then it is a horse to consider.

Do also consider that if horse is not currently 100% in tip top health, he may be feeling under the weather and behaving like an angel. And then return to a more spirited version of himself when completely well. Lami horses are often gassy and off colour and less forward going due to this and foot sensitivity.

I would get bloods for metabolic syndrome and cushings done and xrays of all 4 feet to check for rotation of pedal bone...as part of the vetting.
 
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