Do Youngsters NEVER get Lami?

WelshD

WelshD

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I have two ponies both Welsh section A, one is lacking condition (3.5 years old) and the other is chubby to the point where he looks like he is going to drop a foal at any minute! he is a yearling colt

They have quarter of an acre of bare field, its more or less grazed down to nothing and is muddy pretty much all over. They have night only access to a small (15m x 3m) short grassed area to get away from the mud and for the older one to get a bit of grass inside him

The yearling rubs muzzles off and is too clumsy with fencing for me to try fixing them with gaffer tape etc

He is fed a tiny single handful of plain chaff (no coatings at all) with his vitamins in just once a day. (The older one gets more feed because of his condition)

To get to the point (sorry...) I have heard that lami doesnt really effect ponies under 3 and am wondering if thats true and to stop worrying about it and let the weight drop naturally over the winter

As there are slim picking grazing wise I am wondering if there could be another cause of the chubby belly too he doesnt really have rounded quarters, has no crest and no fat pads on his shoulders, could it be worms? I had a worm count done and it came back with moderate levels of red worm which he had a treatment for (Equest) and I plan to worm for tapeworm as standard for this time of year

I am reluctant to worm him with one of the really strong 'blast them all' wormers as I have read about side effects

Sorry its long but does anyone have any advice please
 
Any age of horse can get laminitis. It is not only caused be being overweight. It can be caused by several different triggers such as emerging encystead small redworms, an infection, sugar intolerence, etc.

You firstly need to pick up the poos every day if you are not already doing so to prevent worm infestation. Get a worm count and blood test done on each of your horses to check the worm burden of each of them and then worm them with the appropriate wormer. (Tape Worms and Encystead Small Red Worms can only be detected in a blood test). Other worms are detected in a worm count.
 
Youngsters can and do get laminitis, a friends homebred sporthorse 2 year old got it from being turned out on pasture that was too rich.
Your yearling would probably benefit from more room to exercise rather than restricting too much, more running around will use calories as well as entertain them so they are not eating all the time. If it is just a fat tummy it probably will go over winter. Some soaked hay would be good for both of them to get some long fibre into the diet.
 
it is more than safe to give wormers, even to young horses. the therapeutic window on the drugs means that they can often have upto 10x maximum dose and still be unharmed. its why we can buy them over the counter :)
worm him, keep the field bare, and let nature do its bit. any age horse can get laminitis- equally though obesity isnt a proven risk factor. Emaciated horses can get lami- its all about sugar uptake.
 
Thank you both

Would it be advisable to worm for encysted redworm as a precaution then do you think?

I have an acre they can go on but the grass is knee high and very green still but I do have sheep on it to eat it down a bit
 
I'd worm - check the instructions but most are fine for use at that age. Also, if any doubt on worms, then I'd worm and keep in stable for a couple of days, or separate patch if possible. No point infesting your field.

And don't be too relaxed on lami. Once they have it that's it for life. Never worth the risk.
 
Thank you all

For now I will revert them back to the smaller area and feed some soaked hay

I'll move the sheep to the adjacent half acre of shortish grass with the aim of using that when grazed down as extra room for them

I have stables so will do the worm and keep in idea

Thanks again. I really dont want him to get lami
 
WelshD said:
Thank you all

For now I will revert them back to the smaller area and feed some soaked hay

I'll move the sheep to the adjacent half acre of shortish grass with the aim of using that when grazed down as extra room for them

I have stables so will do the worm and keep in idea

Thanks again. I really dont want him to get lami
Click to expand...

Are the fields next door? If you have enough to give each a companion I'd probably keep one with poor condition in the richer area with sheep and other in smaller area when out after worming.
 
Yes, I have three acres split in to six areas of varying sizes

I have sheep and goats that would serve as temporary companions and the two ponies could touch and groom each other over fences so in theory could do that thanks
 
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