does anyone have experience of laminitis linked to nitrate fertilizer

dunthing

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I would like to know if anyone has had a horse with laminitis after their fields or nearby fields have been sprayed with nitrate fertilizers. My daughter's pony developed it very suddenly, just after the YOs had sprayed the fields. The laminitis clinic have stated that they can find no positive link. My sister's highland also had lami' every year and the farmer next door was spraying for a silage crop. He has now retired and the pony has been sound since then
 

showjump2003

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I don't what what fertilizer was used but a man I used to ride for bought a fit and healthy 18.2hh horse a few weeks ago and turned it out straight after the fields had been fertilized and now the horse is suffering from pretty bad laminitus and the consensus is that it was the fertiizer that caused it.
 

Happytohack

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I am surprised that the Laminitis Trust won't commit themselves to a link between fertilizing fields and laminitis. I have a pony with Cushings who is prone to laminitis and also a lamintic shetland. We never fertlise the fields that they graze in and the other paddocks where the big horses go are only fertilised with Equifert which is a low nitrate fertiliser. I have spoken to loads of people over the years with laminitic horses/ponies and the general feeling is that they should never be turned out on fertilised fields, especially freshly fertilised ones as they would almost certainly come down with an attack of laminitis.
 

Law

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We had one that went down with it after going out on pasture 24 hrs after it was fertilised. (or something like that)
The vet called it 'toxic laminitis' i think. That was a mini pony.
 

reynold

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why on earth was the horse let out into the field only 24hrs after it was fertilised ????

no way should animals be in the fields after fertilising. They should be kept off the fields for at least 10 days - similar to spraying for weeds - longer if there hasn't been at least one day of heavy rainfall to wash the fertiliser down into the soil.

The 10 days also allows for that first spurt of grass growth to become noticeable - and therefore precautions taken about turnout time and type of horses.

I actually don't use my fields for a month after they've been fertilised - and as you can fertilise in both spring and autumn - do half the land in spring and half in autumn and you will have no problems.
 

FabulousFlynn'sMum

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Hiya, yes I do, it was years ago tho. When my 16.1 ID was four he was turned out onto a newly fertilised field at a farmers livery yard and a week later went down with laminitis. The vets treated him exactly the way you would for laminitis but the actual diagnosis was nitrogen poisoning, it just produced the exact same effects/symptoms as laminitis. Incidently, he is now 18 and although weve never let him get too fat or graze on really rich pasture, he has never been muzzled or been on restricted grazing and has never had an attack of laminitis/nitrogen poisoning since, obviously weve been very careful when fertilising the fields now also. Hope that helps, luv Jayne xx
 

Law

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I have no idea. I don't remember.
crazy.gif
 

dunthing

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Thanks for all your info. Just to clarify a couple of points that have been made, firstly, the actual fields where daughters pony was grazing, (with mine) were not fertilized. There was a large area of flat land which was used for haylage. The same thing at the previous yard, (it was a dairy farm) Obviously the farmer needed good grass for the cattle but we didn't. He fertilized his own fields but my highland got a very mild laminitis. Please dont shoot me down in flames because according to the vets, there's no such thing as a mild bout. I mean that he was a little bit pottery for a few days and recovered very quickly
 
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