frost and laminitis

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JLD

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I am getting a bit confused about the laminitis risk with frost. I know it is to do with the fructose levels but is it just the first frosts or every frost all winter ? It is my first winter with a lami risk pony. I have to turn out before I go to work or he would be in all day ! This means I can't wait till the frosts have melted to turn out. Any ideas as to how to manage this ?
 
Mine is out 24/7 with no issues, but some horses can be affected dramatically by frosted grass, the fructans are worse when the frost is followed by a sunny day, so it's wise to be cautious then, it is every frost, not just the first ones. Turning out in a grass free area is probably the safest if you can, otherwise I'd restrict the grazing and supply plenty of hay or keep in.
 
Oh, I too had this problem for the first time today. My horse was diagnosed with cushings in about October time and I've been dreading frosty mornings. It's my first experience of laminitis also so it's a steep learning curve.
I also turnout before work so this morning I gave him a huge pile of hay hoping it would keep him busy til the frost lifted.
I guess this is all well and good if you only have your own horse in a field and would be a problem on shared grazing?
It's such a worry isn't it, I'll be interested to read your replies from more knowledgable people on the subject! X
 
My IR horse got lami in January throw the snow....that's how we found out he was IR.
He doesn't go out on any frosty/snow covered ground now even tho he is on his metformin. We nearly lost him a few times through his recovery so we just can't risk it.
 
Other things you can try:

Make sure the pony has plenty of soaked hay overnight then feed a bulky 'buffer' feed before turning out. I've used a mix of sugar free chaff & chopped straw, small amount of very sloppy speedie beet, high fibre nuts & salt.

A big pile of hay in the field can hopefully occupy the pony & fill him up so he'll hopefully eat less grass.

Good luck.
 
don't remember exactly, my friend has a laminitic and cushings pony. she said that frost puts stress on the grass. her pony is actually worse on grass in the winter, especially frosty, than the spring and summer months. so as she has a turn out pen and company, she basically lives off grass in the winter. been sound for a while, after a bad attack a year and a half ago and heart bar shoes to help.
hopefully someone will know the science behind frost- i admit i never knew it was a problem
 
Giving him hay to keep him occupied till the frost lifts is a good idea. I think I had got so hung up on getting weight off him over summer and limiting intake that my head hasn't moved into feeding more hay mode as he is still a little podgy. I won't be able to soak my hay once it freezes either. Grass is definitely on the wane now. Interesting to see how much sparser it looks by torch light then by day when it still appears to be a green swathe.
 
Soaking hay in the winter is such a nightmare isn't it? I've used a high fibre haylage in the past but it was very expensive. The other trick that i've found quite useful is to put a couple of slices of hay into a big plastic feed bag & then pour a couple of kettles of boiling water onto it. I roll the top over & leave for anything between 1- 8 hours, it sort of steams & soaks & they do seem to enjoy it. Time consuming & a bit messy but might be worth doing for one lot of hay a day?

You do need to fill him up on 'safe' food to discourage him from eating too much grass.
 
I had a lammi, my old boy, and the vet said not to turn him out on frosty/sunny mornings, as the combination of these two factors draws up the fructans into the grass and it is this which is particularly high risk for laminitics. Sorry I can't explain all the science, hopefully others on here will be able to, but this is the basic theory.

The way I used to manage it was, as someone else has suggested, to give a good feed full of chaffy/non-molasses stuff which will bulk them up and make them feel less hungry; I still do this now for my two (non-laminitic) horses, as having had one with lammi it makes you totally paranoid.
 
My Cushings pony has only had laminitis due to being turned out on frosted grass.
The choices are:
1. Leave in all day and night - not ideal
2. Turn out at least an hour after frost has gone
3. Turn out at night and bring in during the day
4. Turn out with plenty of hay after decent feed
I opt for option 2 or 3 depending on how severe the frost is and how much grass is in the field but I understand that not all livery yards allow turn out at night.
It is a nightmare and I'm always on the lookout for the slightest symptom.
 
JLD said:
I am getting a bit confused about the laminitis risk with frost. I know it is to do with the fructose levels but is it just the first frosts or every frost all winter ? It is my first winter with a lami risk pony. I have to turn out before I go to work or he would be in all day ! This means I can't wait till the frosts have melted to turn out. Any ideas as to how to manage this ?
Click to expand...
It's the levels of non structural carbs (NSC) that are currently believed to be the main factor.
http://www.safergrass.org/pdf/nfcfactors.pdf
There is an app that is an aid (not to be used as the THE guide!) that can help in your management but you must apply common sense as well and go by how the horse is reacting foremost.
http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.ie/2012/03/exciting-news-laminitis-app.html
 
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