horses with laminitis?

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Cinders

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we to try a horse a few days ago and was the first one i ve really felt i would like to own. We're going back for a second look tomorrow as we really liked her, the one thing thats putting us off is the fact she's had laminitis last year. Apparently it was only mild and she wasn't even lame with it, i know horses that have had it are prone to getting it again, am i right to be worried or am i completely over-reacting?

i wanted to get the horse, or any horse we want to buy, vetted but because we haven't had our previous horses vetted dad says he doesn't want to waste the money
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will be more of a waste if we end up with an unrideable one!

i guess i m wondering if anyone can reasure me i m making a mountain out of a mole hill. would any of you be put off buying a horse that had previously had laminitis?
 
I have two who have had laminitis - one has Cushings and the other had low grade laminitis, despite the previous owner telling me that he had never ever had laminitis before. Managing laminitis can be tricky - it all depends what facilities you have. It can also be triggered by lots of factors, not just excessive grass. Stress and concussion can be triggers. TBH, I would be very careful about buying one with a history of laminitis - also, previous owners do tend to avoid the whole truth sometimes
 
I agree with OP. Freddie had laminitis 3 years ago and now its constantly watching his diet, the weather, exercise etc. I inspect his poo's daily
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Although he has been 'clean' since, (after 3 months box rest and restricted grazing) I can never relax in the knowledge that he will be ok whatever.

He is on various suppliments to counteract possible future lami, a different feed from the rest of the horses and has to have his hay in 2 haylage nets - one inside the other.
I hate to see him standing in his stable with nothing after he has finished his net, so I then give him a bucket of Hifi Light.

Tbh, you will always have to watch a laminitic and will become paranoid. However, if you have the time and resources then no problem.

Please let us know what you decide ~ we will all support you whatever
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I have to agree with the other posters Cinders. I owned a mare who had a severe laminitis attack about 5 years ago now, she subsequently went on to develop cushings and we lost her last christmas. Im now treating my 18 year old gelding with a sudden attack of laminitis, which i am hoping was due to this absurd weather we have been experiencing and its taking a lot longer to go than i was anticipating!! Laminitis is a complete nightmare and something i wouldn't wish on anyone. You are constantly watching, monitoring and waiting for something to go wrong.

How old is the horse you went to see?

I would always advise now having gone through this with mine to pass him/her by, there are so many nice, genuine horses out there without buying one with a laminitic history. Sorry to sound so harsh but Benji is semi retired now and i have others that i can ride and compete, you've got to think that if you buy this one and it suffers another attack you could go weeks/ months without being able to use it, which is awful if you have bought it to compete.. not to mention the costs involved in looking after them and all of the treatments available.
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was really hoping everyone would be telling me to stop over reacting and its not such a big deal! obviously i wanted opinions so i m grateful for all your honest views.

is there anyway a horse could have just a one off attack of laminitis and then be completely healthy again? i guess the reason my judgement was clouded was because the owner didn't seem to think it was a big deal, she's been ridden and compete normally and didn't seem to be on any restricted grazing.

i know most people would move on and forget it but i ve tried so many horses and haven't liked any of them, this one gave me such a nice ride and i liked her so much i want to buy her which is saying something as i normal pick fault with every horse i try! plus we've been looking on and off since october and i m getting fed up now! lol

benjis_girl- she's 12
 
Did the owner specify how the laminitis was brought on? How it manifested itself? Laminitis is so complicated, my mare started by just being very slightly lame in trot and a couple of months later we were facing the decision of whether to PTS or not. She was in such a state, she couldn't move at all. Obviously hers was an extreme case and im sure there are many horses out there that have a small bout and never suffer from it again, but its whether you are willing to take the risk or not.

Its such a shame as you obviously like the mare and are looking forward to getting a new horse. Its your decision ultimately and as Llwyncwn said we will all be happy for you whatever decision you make, just letting you know what experiences i have had of the condition.

Chin up.. Let me know how you get on!!
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owner said laminitis was caused by changing yards and the different grass affected her, something to do with the toxins in the grass being different?! she said it was only very mild as the mare wasn't lame with it but they did claim on the insurance for it. Is that normal even if it was only mild?

will carry on with seeing mare again tomorrow and will ask more about the laminitis and be sensible over it. i do love this mare but i do want a horse i can compete on. thanks for the advice!
 
What a dilemma - you obviously really like the mare but once they have had laminitis they are very prone to it. You will be contantly watching for it - grazing, hard ground, stress, etc. If the mare does come down with it, it is really heart breaking to deal with - seeing a horse in constant pain and not knowing if you are doing the right thing carrying on. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck but I would have to walk away no matter how lovely the horse was.
 
Can I ask why tou are inspecting the poos daily, What for??
This is a genuine question btw, I have just aquired a laminitic pony never having had one before ( she is rescued )
 
I wonder why if it was so mild they had to claim, usually the vet does a quick examine and prescribes bute, about £50.
Two of mine are laminitics, the one I ride everyday had an attack 3 years ago, Laminitis tends to take over your life! If you have the time to dedicate in managing the grazing and weight etc there's no reason not to have a long and successfull time with her. Mine is very fit and healthy and has lost a huge amount of weight.
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TT
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I inspect his dung as that is the indicator of how his hind gut is that day. Since Fred's lami, his poo's were often loose, sticky and very smelly. The smell is different from a normal horses dung. Laminitis begins in the gut, so his poo's tell me if he has found any new growth in the grass etc, then I have to take action.

Also, he is in during the day and out at night. When the sun is at its highest during the day, that is when the sugars (fructans) in the grass are at their highest and most dangerous to a lami.

Hope this makes sense
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[ QUOTE ]
owner said laminitis was caused by changing yards and the different grass affected her, something to do with the toxins in the grass being different?! she said it was only very mild as the mare wasn't lame with it but they did claim on the insurance for it. Is that normal even if it was only mild?

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That would be a concern for me if i was looking to buy the mare as obviously you will be moving her to your yard and changing her grazing and routine. Also as another poster said unless you are having xrays and other more aggressive forms of treatment the vets fees related to laminitis are call outs and medication such as bute & ACP etc. Therefore if she only had a mild form of Lami surely she wouldn't have been able to claim on her insurance as really she wouldn't have got upto her excess. She would have had to have notified them of the laminitis though.
 
that concerns me as well, the moving to a new place and the stress of a new owner (she's been with current owner for 7yrs). Also probably what concerns me the most is the fact that we dont have an arena or anything just a field. so at the moment the field quite hard, also we tend to compete most weekends which could bring it on?

why can nothing ever be simple! we were going today basically to put a deposit down and now i dont know what to do! lol if i'd know about the lami beforehand i wouldn't have bothered going to see her.
 
I don't think the owner is telling you the complete truth as normally the first indication of laminitiss is lameness.

I most certainly would not buy the horse and if you are seriously thinking of buying it then insist on having up to date x rays taken to check the rotation of the pedal bone.

You will also need to be taught how to take the digital pulse of the horse so that you can identify the onset of laminitiss when it becomes elevated.

Managing a horse which has had laminitiss is time cosnuming and expensive.

Grass is not the only trigger for laminitiss - it can be stress, emerging encysted red worms etc.

A horse that has had laminitiss is pre-disposed of getting it again.

No point buying trouble.
 
TT - Not always as every horse is different, but with Fred, yes. However, it can also happen after eating wet grass after a long dry spell. You get to know the signs in your own horse.

Unfortunately, Freds lami was down to my lack of knowledge on the subject (fat little ponio's etc) and mis-management. All the signs were there, cresty etc. We pulled him in the day he went lame (only in one foot).

Its not until you experience something like this that you become expert
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I downloaded loads of info from the Laminitis Trust website - very interesting reading.
 
Thankyou L
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I was wondering because the horse I have has become a bit squitty.
She seems fine in herself although very cross she is on a bald patch !!!
She has had mis managed laminitis all her life and she is 18 now but my friend and I have had her a couple of months now and all is ok so far
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I will be posting for loads of help if she goes down with it
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To be frank, no I would never consider a horse/pony who has previously had laminitis. I don't think there are many people who are 100% truthful when selling a laminitic pony.

One of mine came down with horrific laminitis a few years ago which is why we didn't consider selling her and she was transported half way around the world to remain with us.

I know you say you are in love with this horse and that it is perfect for you - but if I was your parents I would seriously suggest you look for another. Sorry.
 
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