Filled legs-reaction to grass? Help needed please!

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emmaln

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Hi all,

This could be long sorry...

I moved to a new yard in June last year with my 3 horses, it has individual paddocks of which rent three and then alternate between them. The paddocks we took on had been empty for a while and were only turned over to grass 2.5 years ago they hadn't been rented out but had been used by other liveries if they needed anything done to theirs (fertilising etc.)

Anyway I went to the yard this morning and my old girl had a leg like a tree trunk so after fully checking for punctures etc cold hosed and bandaged with ice tight I put her back out as she wasn't lame and thought I would just check her in the evening (she's a tb and is constantly getting herself into mischief) when I got up there this evening my 4 yr olds back legs were both filled and were stiff and a bit sensitive, another of the liveries was on the yard and said that when other horses had been out on those fields they had had the same problems and one had ended up on box rest and bute etc and the vet said it was probably a reaction to something in the grass?!? I rang the YO (who happens to be an old friend) and she confirmed that in fact 7 horses who had used those fields had had the same symptoms, I have moved horses for tonight into a spare field but it can only be temporary and there are no spare fields at the mo!

Does anybody know if it is a possibility that it is the grass or soil causing this?

Thanks for reading, any help gratefully received!
 
emmaln said:
Sorry to do this but really do need to hear from anyone with experience of this so... Bump
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Sorry to read that and how distressing - my initial thoughts are to get grass and soil tested either at local feed merchants (Mole Valley manufacturing sites) or send off to D&H.

Find out what minerals are high/low. It sounds as if the horses are experiencing either a deficiency or an overdose of something.

What other feeds do these horses have in common? Is the grass fertilised?

When you get the results, either supplement the horse with missing minerals (licks in field or in feed) or treat the ground.

Some grasses are unsuitable for horses - what grass is it? Fescues are no good nor are legume grasses. Also, are there lots of weeds? Like clover?
 
Thank you for your reply, I think that is the plan to have the soil tested, will also look into getting the grass tested asap!

I have just changed my feed but it was done very gradually, the only thing I can think is that I've taken them off the baileys lo cal balancer which was inadvertently counter acting whatever is deficient or over the norm in the ground/grass?

The fields were fertilised but the whole yard was done with the same stuff and it was given 4 weeks before they were put back on it and it had rained! The grass is very patchy and short but is obviously very lush as all 3 put on weight and their poos were very very green!

I don't know exactly what kind of grasses are out there but I know it was reseeded by YO who I would hope used grass seed that was suitable for horses it being she had horses herself!
 
The other thing I was thinking is that the the horses circulation isn't working properly and is retaining fluid for some reason. It could be a metabolic issue triggered by something else causing the liver to build up toxicity and the kidneys aren't filtering properly. Have you thought about a detox? Liver tonic maybe?

If you do decide to detox, you musn't feed additional vits and mins. I was recommended trinity consultants but there are others. It worked very well, and I am convinced it saved my geldings life last year. You could give them a call as they are very experienced with sort of thing.
 
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