How to fizz up laminitic ponies without giving them laminitis!

tootsietoo

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I have a couple of small Welsh ponies who have both been very laminitic in the past (not when I've had them I hasten to add). Both have Cushings and are on pergolide.

The children are getting really into games right now and they kick like mad bless 'em but the ponies don't have a huge amount of go! I would like to give them a bit of feed to help them out, but really wary of laminitis, especially as the grass is coming through now. I am thinking feeds which provide fat rather than carbs/sugar might be the way to go. Or perhaps forage with extra energy e.g. alfalfa?

Can anyone tell me what has worked for them?

Thanks
 

Hen

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Unmollassed beet pulp (Kwik Beet) has worked best as an additional energy source for my mare. Other than that she gets mineral balancer, a small amount of micronised linseed and a small amount of unmollassed alfalfa on top of her hay ration.
 

tootsietoo

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Thanks Hen

Is there not too much carb in oats Black Beastie? Will read up on the lammy websites, see what they say about oats.
 

Hen

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I'd not really considered beet pulp for energy until a couple of other people told me that's what they were feeding it for (rather than just being a vit/mineral carrier). I found this comparison with oats quite interesting - http://gettyequinenutrition.biz/Library/ConsiderBeetPulpInsteadofOats.htm . Anyway, my mare had beet pulp added when I took her away 2 weeks ago for intensive training, working twice a day for four days and for the first time we didn't hit an energy wall, so it must have been coming from the beet pulp, and she felt really good in herself.
 

amandap

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Oats are the lowest starch cereal at 40% starch. Beet is a good slow release energy fibre feed. I believe a lot of endurance riders use it.
 

tallyho!

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A handful of oats won't do a great deal of harm. I have fed oats and got good energy, no fizziness or anything, but not too much. Remember horses and ponies are good digesters.
 

rema

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The rough guide lines for a Laminitic diet is around the 10% rule of sugar/starch combined so Oats at 40% starch is quite high..Barley is 50% starch.

The only way you could feed Oats is a after the horse has worked so the glucose can be taken straight into the muscles..therefore reducing the Insulin peak.
 
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Hen

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The rough guide lines for a Laminitic diet is around the 10% rule of sugar/starch combined so Oats at 40% starch is quite high..Barley is 50% starch.

The only way you could feed Oats is a after the horse has worked so the glucose can be taken straight into the muscles..therefore reducing the Insulin peak.

That's really interesting, I remember reading something recently which emphasised this point that certan things can be fed if you put them into the system at the point of time that the system will utilise them fully, it makes a lot of sense and I wish I could remember where that discussion point was!!
 
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