Exercise regime for healed laminitic pony

[Orangehorse]

If you have a pony that has had laminitis and has recovered, and you are taking all steps regarding diet and restrictions on grazing, I wondered if lunging the said pony would be a good idea. The pony is far too small for me to ride and is not broken to drive, and I wouldn't take it out on the roads, so the only possible exercise I could give it would be lunging/longreining around the field. I liked the idea of long reining a dressage test!

Seriously, how much exercise should a pony get per week to help to keep laminitis at bay?

 

[be positive]

I would do as much as possible, obviously take care to build up fitness slowly, long reining in the fields and on the roads once you feel happy, some really active lunging to get the heart rate up, loose jumping etc will all help keep the weight off and laminitis at bay, not sure there is a limit on how much but to my mind 20 mins of active work, trot/ canter/ jump, every day would be ideal, with some longer slower sessions when there is time.

 

[Gloi]

Have you something that you can lead it from and take it out ride and lead. That's what we did with the Shetty.

 

[Orangehorse]

Well I have my horse of course, but I have negotiate a field of cattle to get to the road and the lanes are narrow and can be busy at times. And then getting back through the gate at the end of the drive with 2 and shutting the gate before the cattle come galloping up.

I thought I could practice ride and lead and see how I got on but I can easily see that it wouldn't be practical.

 

[JillA]

Any chance you could set up a track around the outside of a paddock? That increases their movement massively while restricting their grass intake

 

[Hepsibah]

When you say healed, what do you mean? Have the hoof capsules grown out completely since the last laminitic episode? Circle work is normally discouraged because it puts pressure on the inside feet.

 

[meleeka]

I think long reigning is a good idea. Anything you can do to keep the blood pumping well will help. I found with my cob that active walking was just as effective as trotting for weight loss.

I use a track in the summer and was amazed at how much this small change made to his waistline.

 

[Orangehorse]

By healed I suppose I mean no longer lame or "footy" and able to walk normally to and from the paddock. I'll bear that in mind about not circle work.

The trouble with making a track is that in the summer I have really a small paddock for 2 animals, it hardly looks sufficient, but it does mean that their grazing is restricted and I have always treated my horse as a potential laminitic as he is a good doer. So actually making a track around the outside is going to be tricky, in effect I would be putting a fence down the centre of the field so they could go round and round, but there wouldn't be much/anything in the middle. The restricted grazing is why I bring them in at night most of the year, the only time not is in the middle of the summer, although if it is too hot and unpleasant they come in during the day. The paddock is rested in the winter and they go on better grazing.

 

[JillA]

I know someone who created one in a tiny paddock by using a U shape and a line up the centre, a bit like a maze, ponies had to travel twice as far to get from A to B. Where there is a will and all that

 

[meleeka]

How big is your paddock? I have a track on an acre and my 3 live out. Obviously I’m still haying all summer but the extra movement they get is worth it. Bringing them in would be restricting their movement which I found is the reason mine get fat.

 

[Orangehorse]

Not an acre, but I think I will try it anyway and see how I get on.

 

[Hepsibah]

I recommend looking at the laminitis site to see what exercise is appropriate at this stage of your pony's recovery: http://www.thelaminitissite.org/e.html Scroll down the page to the exercise section. It really isn't worth rushing into exercise before the hoof structures are stable enough to cope with it. My horse relapsed and had an extra six weeks on box rest when I did too much, too soon.