Buying a pony with EMS

B

Babypony

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 April 2025
Messages
163
Visit site
Looking for a second pony to keep mine company at a new yard. Found a lovely one but it has EMS and is on medication. I don’t have stabling at my new place so it would be out 24/7, but I can strip graze, exercise most days, and use a grazing muzzle. Is this realistic to control EMS along with medication? It is currently sound and in ridden work, and out during the afternoon and stabled otherwise. I lost one to lami years ago and obviously do not want to repeat that. I know the owner and the pony really is lovely which is the only reason I’m considering it. Honest opinions welcome, don’t want heart to rule head.
 
What does the owner think? Have they tried 24/7 and it didn’t work or is there set up making it impractical for the pony to be out 24/7?

I think it’s workable as you can adapt your grazing to suit so I’d be tempted to do a trial?
 
Both my ponies have EMS - one has never shown any worrying signs (her blood was tested when the other got lami and it showed slightly high insulin) and one who had lami two years ago, and very early lami a month ago (was sorted with a week in and Invokana). Both are muzzled all through summer, which I hate having to do, are on a track, which I hate having to do, go out late evening until early morning in summer, which I hate having to do, have to have soaked hay, which I hate having to do, can't have normal 'treats', which I hate having to do. I can't let them be free to be horses, basically. It's a constant, daily worry, year round. I adore both my girls and wouldn't want to give them up, but would I knowingly take on a pony with EMS? No f-ing way.

Sorry :(
 
Lucky788 said:
What does the owner think? Have they tried 24/7 and it didn’t work or is there set up making it impractical for the pony to be out 24/7?

I think it’s workable as you can adapt your grazing to suit so I’d be tempted to do a trial?
Click to expand...
Good questions. Owner said no initially to 24/7 turnout, then yes when I said I would strip graze and muzzle. They stable all of theirs at night (none of the others have history or lami or ems) so I’d presume it’s a routine thing.

A trial is a good idea. Not sure how that would work though if she got footy and I had to have her sent home?
 
Our EMS Shetland is an absolute nightmare to manage. On medication she drops too much weight, grass is dangerous even with a muzzle at certain times of year and she needs exercising fast twice a day even on low sugar haylage and winter grass.

I previously had an EMS horse who was much milder and just couldn’t have anything sugary - but she never needed meds just a change of diet.

It’s a slippery road and not one I would go down (especially without stabling) if the pony is already unable to be managed without medication and you cannot provide daily exercise.
 
JenJ said:
Both my ponies have EMS - one has never shown any worrying signs (her blood was tested when the other got lami and it showed slightly high insulin) and one who had lami two years ago, and very early lami a month ago (was sorted with a week in and Invokana). Both are muzzled all through summer, which I hate having to do, are on a track, which I hate having to do, go out late evening until early morning in summer, which I hate having to do, have to have soaked hay, which I hate having to do, can't have normal 'treats', which I hate having to do. I can't let them be free to be horses, basically. It's a constant, daily worry, year round. I adore both my girls and wouldn't want to give them up, but would I knowingly take on a pony with EMS? No f-ing way.

Sorry :(
Click to expand...
No, thank you for your honest experience. This is exactly what I wanted, to find out what I was potentially letting myself in for. It’s wonderful how hard you’re working for your ponies but definitely not something I want to have to do.
 
Last edited:
maya2008 said:
Our EMS Shetland is an absolute nightmare to manage. On medication she drops too much weight, grass is dangerous even with a muzzle at certain times of year and she needs exercising fast twice a day even on low sugar haylage and winter grass.

I previously had an EMS horse who was much milder and just couldn’t have anything sugary - but she never needed meds just a change of diet.

It’s a slippery road and not one I would go down (especially without stabling) if the pony is already unable to be managed without medication and you cannot provide daily exercise.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Ideally I would exercise daily, but realistically with work it likely won’t be every day, probably 5 times a week. That’s very concerning that potentially she would need to be off grass even with a muzzle.
 
Fire sign said:
Yes, my horse has been recently diagnosed and it’s a lot of work and a lot of expense and a lot of worry …. I do love her and she is worth it but wouldn’t knowingly take it on ….
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear that. I hope things get easier for you, and thanks for sharing your experience.
 
I have an EMS pony now, and he is managed with a grazing muzzle and some stabling, with hay which I do not need to soak, only for a few minutes to rinse dust off. If I want to leave him out I can, as I have made a small fenced pen in a corner of the field, which he goes in with hay. This gives him a break from his muzzle and let him fill his tummy a bit. So he has muzzle at night and either in his pen or a stable during the day. He has about 5/6 months without a muzzle over the winter, depending on the weather and grass cover. He is not difficult to manage, but he is very happy in his muzzle, not bothered at all. Not super sensitive to grass or sugars as long as not fat. I monitor his weight and so does my farrier.
I had another pony years ago, and he hated his muzzle, and was much more sensitive to sugars. Really he could not have grass at all. It was always a struggle and he began to get ill from hay that was too sugary. I had to have him put to sleep. No drugs then, 30 years ago.
It’s a bit of a tightrope walk, having an EMS pony.
 
Time for Tea said:
I have an EMS pony now, and he is managed with a grazing muzzle and some stabling, with hay which I do not need to soak, only for a few minutes to rinse dust off. If I want to leave him out I can, as I have made a small fenced pen in a corner of the field, which he goes in with hay. This gives him a break from his muzzle and let him fill his tummy a bit. So he has muzzle at night and either in his pen or a stable during the day. He has about 5/6 months without a muzzle over the winter, depending on the weather and grass cover. He is not difficult to manage, but he is very happy in his muzzle, not bothered at all. Not super sensitive to grass or sugars as long as not fat. I monitor his weight and so does my farrier.
I had another pony years ago, and he hated his muzzle, and was much more sensitive to sugars. Really he could not have grass at all. It was always a struggle and he began to get ill from hay that was too sugary. I had to have him put to sleep. No drugs then, 30 years ago.
It’s a bit of a tightrope walk, having an EMS pony.
Click to expand...
It seems to be a bit of a lottery depending on how the individual pony is. I might ask if they’d consider a trial as the other commenter suggested. Or even a loan. I don’t want to make her poorly, and equally I don’t want to be stuck in a situation where I don’t have the adequate facilities to care for her.
 
I have had my now retired 15 year old EMS pony since he was 3 and he started showing symptoms at 4. He is on a strict regime from April to late September, out 24/7 on a bald track around an acre paddock with two small portions of hay and two high fibre feeds for supplements a day. He isn’t on any medication, I don’t soak his hay as it’s just not possible and he isn’t muzzled. Come the autumn he goes back onto my winter field with a muzzle until November and over winter is out at night and in during the day.

It is hard work and he’s never had laminitis but his sister was PTS at 11 as hers was unmanageable so even with the same genetics they were poles apart in how it affected her and how it affects him.

I wouldn’t knowingly take on another EMS horse given it can be a precursor to cushings and especially if it is already being medicated. You never relax especially in summer so given your setup I wouldn’t consider it.
 
HappyHollyDays said:
I have had my now retired 15 year old EMS pony since he was 3 and he started showing symptoms at 4. He is on a strict regime from April to late September, out 24/7 on a bald track around an acre paddock with two small portions of hay and two high fibre feeds for supplements a day. He isn’t on any medication, I don’t soak his hay as it’s just not possible and he isn’t muzzled. Come the autumn he goes back onto my winter field with a muzzle until November and over winter is out at night and in during the day.

It is hard work but he’s never had laminitis but his sister was PTS at 11 as hers was unmanageable so even with the same genetics they were poles apart in how it affected her and how it affects him.

I wouldn’t knowingly take on another EMS horse given it can be a precursor to cushings and especially if it is already being medicated. You never relax especially in summer so given your setup I wouldn’t consider it.
Click to expand...
Ok thanks for this. It’s such a shame as she is lovely but I think you’re right. I’d consider a loan but I think buying would be too risky.
 
I hope you don’t mind me slightly derailing your thread and asking a question to everyone who has replied on here .. my horse has been having monthly blood tests as I am trying to stabilise her insulin levels … and this is costing quite a bit … how often do you have yours tested ? Would it be routinely, seasonally , every 3 or 6 months or just when you notice worrying symptoms ?
 
Fire sign said:
I hope you don’t mind me slightly derailing your thread and asking a question to everyone who has replied on here .. my horse has been having monthly blood tests as I am trying to stabilise her insulin levels … and this is costing quite a bit … how often do you have yours tested ? Would it be routinely, seasonally , every 3 or 6 months or just when you notice worrying symptoms ?
Click to expand...

Mine were blood tested twice two years ago, not at all since then. The lami one has had (I think) 4 lots of Invokana in total, usually for a month or so each. The first vet that saw her a month ago with the early lami said bloods might need to be done before prescribing Invokana, but my usual vet, who saw her the following week, was happy to prescribe it based on history and symptoms.

Is it your vet that has suggested monthly blood tests or something that you have requested? How many months has it been?

I may well be wrong for saying this, but I would probably be more inclined to base an assessment on changes in symptoms, and maybe an occasional blood test to ensure that things are moving in the right direction. Monthly does sound very expensive, unless there are other factors involved?
 
My pony has EMS. I’ve had her 10 years. She had an episode of laminitis early on so I have managed her ever since and she hasn’t had any more. She is out all day and stabled at night. From March to October she is muzzled for turnout and her hay is soaked. From October to March not muzzled and I may still soak her hay or not depending on whether she needs to lose any weight. Exercise is the key to keeping an EMS pony in order to use up the sugar for energy. Managing the condition becomes second nature. It’s just the hay soaking that is a real chore.

In your shoes I wouldn’t take on an EMS pony. I envy other liveries at my yard who leave their horse out 24/7 and can give them ad lib hay and not worry. Mine is micro-managed. She’s worth it though ❤️
 
Thanks so much for your reply … She was diagnosed in December and we have managed to get the levels down within normal range by limiting turn out soaking hay and increasing her workload … but there were a few blips here and there and now we have Spring grass to contend with …. I just wanted to be sure that I had it under control before stopping the blood tests ..
I just wondered what everyone else was doing !
 
I'm another who wouldn't buy one with EMS, despite having had one of my own with it and was thankfully manageable. But you just never know and your management of the pony would be a big shift from how the current owners manage them. Too much of a risk IMO.

I would consider a trial, but for at least 3 months, preferably 6, to see if the pony can adapt. But that's probably too long to be comfortable for the current owners.
 
What medication?

I have one with EMS, she can no longer be muzzled as she removes them (the vets have never had one like it) she’s a danger to herself removing them. She has had strict management for the past 6 year and never got laminitis.

I’ve only really got it under control now she’s started on Invokana, she has it 3 times a week and it keeps her levels down, she’s staying slim and she is rock crunching.

I wouldn’t seek another one with EMS again on purpose though.
 
Babypony said:
Thank you. Ideally I would exercise daily, but realistically with work it likely won’t be every day, probably 5 times a week. That’s very concerning that potentially she would need to be off grass even with a muzzle.
Click to expand...


I had a fit eventer with EMS who couldn't touch a blade of grass without raised pulses. A two year old mini Shetland the same. I couldn't cope with the needs of either of them I'm afraid and both were found homes where it wasn't a worry to the new owner.
.
 
if you have a loan and it gets lami who pays? and also who looks after it? lami is a problem that is expensive in both time and money and that is without taking into account the pain to the horse.
If it has to be PTS who pays? will the old owner be happy?

sorry but no.
 
I managed a pony with a similar setup for 11 years (he was diagnosed, aged 16 and lived until he was 27 - put to sleep with brain tumour and mesenteric lipomas). I had two muzzles, one with a slightly larger hole, and fed soaked hay on the ground with the muzzle on when the grass was too short/he was symptomatic. He ate no problems like that. From November to probably April/May, he didn't wear the muzzle at all and strip grazing alone was enough.

Make no mistake, it can feel like a full time job managing it, but I got used to checking pulses daily and spotting signs that aren't in the manual - slight oedema around the lower legs, lethargy when working, being slightly footy on hacks. He would go onto soaked hay only regime and be fine. We only had that one initial laminitis attack! I kept him barefoot as I was able to do little trims regularly and footiness would present earlier, like an early warning system. He did mostly wear boots if I was out for a while, which meant I could canter on the stony forestry roads. He was the fittest equine on the yard!

Diet wise we simply avoided alfalfa and soaked hay if symptomatic, nothing more. No medication, no supplements aside from brewer's yeast and linseed (my other pony had sweet itch and they got the same feed).

In your shoes, if the pony is otherwise ideal and you have the time/facilities, maybe go for LWVTB or permanent loan, with a tight agreement on who pays for what. Chances are she won't be insurable. Mine was excluded for laminitis, EMS, PPID and IR, so after aged 17 he was PL only.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top