Help can horses go lame from eating rye grass

[jazmineduke]

Hi all,

I have just changed my mares to rye grass haylage, both mares have gone lame this seems to be a bit strange. Has anyone every had horses go lame when changed to rye grass haylage. If this is why they have gone lame i have 7 more very large bales which i dont know what to do with.
Help Please

I first thought it was down to a very short trimming by the farrier but now my other mare has gone lame also and she has not had her hooves done, and the only thing that has change is the haylage. Has anyone every heard of this?

 

[joe_carby]

yes it could be down to the protien levels. have there les filled slightly, im not familiar with rye grass imparticular but it is possible with other haylage

 

[cptrayes]

It could easily have sent them laminitic if they were on the edge anyway. Check for pulses.

 

[misst]

^^^what cptrayes said. I would treat as laminitis even if you cannot find pulses - better safe than sorry. It looks as if there is no grass in most places but I think there is more than we realise and sudden rich hayledge could easily tip them over. If in any doubt bring in, thick bed, soaked hay and vet.

 

[Janesomerset]

I don't know about haylage, as I've never used it, but our vet calls rye grass hay "rocket fuel", and our laminitis-prone pony cannot have it. Even a little rye hay
can send him "pottery". As cptrayes says, a good idea to check their digital pulses.

 

[amandap]

Hi all,

If this is why they have gone lame i have 7 more very large bales which i dont know what to do with.

You could try soaking it.

 

[brucea]

What CPTRAYES said - so no more haylage and off the grass for a while until they are OK.

We tried haylege for our lads and iut made 2 of them footy. It's just too rich.

 

[hannah28]

You could try soaking it.

nonono..... i think its bad to soak hayledge

 

[NicoleS_007]

nonono..... i think its bad to soak hayledge

I heard if you soak haylage it just makes it less fattening!

 

[cptrayes]

nonono..... i think its bad to soak hayledge

I've been feeding soaked haylage with no issues at all for months. I don't think there's much difference between soaking hay and soaking haylage except that haylage already has more water in it to start with and doesn't swell as much. Both will soak out sugar, and water soluble vitamins and it will also soak alcohol calories out of the haylage, from fermented sugar.