Grass Sickness - Anyone known a horse to survive?

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As the title says really.

Our yard lost one horse just after christmas and another (from same field) has gone down with it (suspected) today.

I know there are certain factors to do with the type of grazing (clover rich pasture) and soil mineral content (nitrogen rich) which can contribute... is it worth mentioning to y/o to investigate?
 
Hi,
My brothers horse died from it, but a friends horse survived (differant year and land).
The man just kept feeding little and often and got her up and walked her about during the day. The vet put her on the 'no hope' list but she pulled through. Vet said it was the determination of the man that did it. I think there is a chart or something that you can tick off against to show how bad they are, she was one down from the top, had most of the signs. Not sure about testing the land or if this post has helped, but hope said horse pulls through.
Just remembered there is a grass sickness website that was really good can't remember the address but think they were based in Scotland you can phone them for advice they where really helpful.
 
Lots of factors increase the risk: clover, nitrogen, disturbed soil, younger horses, weather pattern in previous days, 24x7 grazing (much safer if hay is part of diet not just grass)

Im just about to move to the high risk area of NE Scotland, and a neighbour up there lost a horse to it, so am really worried.....

best wishes to the horse. I hope he pulls through :-(
 
We lost one horse on the yard to it last year 3yo. Then towards the end of the year another horse came down with it. The 2nd horse it still with us and seems to be picking up day by day. She looks very poor but is fed whatever she will eat (had to try many a feed) and the owner has spent a small fortune. We know she's feeling better as she is back to her normal self i.e. trying to bite/ kick etc
 
I lost my mare to it, but know two people who have saved their horses and they are now in wonderful health. Saving them all depends on the type they get eg acute or chronic. As yet, the cause is still unknown, although there are believed to be contributary factors. However, it is very rare for two animals to get it from using the same field, there must be a predisposition to it in the first place. My husband worked where they had a mare die from it, but some thirty years and over forty horses later, there has been no further cases. Myself, I have had many horse/ponies/donkeys graze the same field since with no problems.
The website you need is

EGS
 
Yes one of Axels half sisters survived Grass Sickness, she is now a brood mare and has bred some really smashing foals.
The only way it has affected her is that her coat is funny and stands on end and she sweats up in patches. This is why she's never been broken in.
 
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This is the website for the grass sickness fund here

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Already given it above
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there is a lady who lost a horse to it and a couple of weeks later one of her others came down with it but ok now
 
When I went on holiday a few years ago to Scotland, I stayed in holiday cottages where the people kept their horses, their piebald at a very young age (about 2-3 I think) got Grass Sickness and lost most if its fur, but survived and is now in its early 20's, the fur grew back but where the black used to be went a very faint grey roan type colour.. it was really odd.
 
My cob had it as a yearling, lost so much weight and nearly all his hair. He took a year to pull through and due to the extreme muscle wastage i couldnt break him in until he was 8. He only made 15hh rather than the predicted 16.2hh BUT is a dream hunter and got to HOYS in the cobs 2 years ago so there is hope! Blue Chip was a miracle in keeping him alive when he had no appetite.
 
I had a beautiful Welsh D back in 1989 and was in the process of backing him when he was 3. Unfortunately, he went down with what we thought was colic one evening, the vet was called twice and the next morning we had to rush him to Potters Bar.

He was kept in and placed on a drip and had a tube placed into his stomach. He was later rushed to theatre due to a ruptured bowel (twisted gut) and peritonitis had set in. He was not brought round from anaesthetic, so died in peace. The post mortum result was put down as Acute grass sickness.

After this I looked into the illness and it would appear that acute cases are usually fatal and chronic sometimes has a good outcome, its not an illness that I would like to be but through again.
 
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