How to manage mare with Ems and your experiences please

[sparky1981]

So our lovely pony who struggles to lose weight has come back with possible ems and high levels. How do people manage their diets. She hasn’t ever had laminitis. Has limited grazing and soaked hay. Which she gorges! My worry is her getting ulcers as when she eats all her hay she could be standing for hours without potentially. How do you all manage weight but make sure they aren’t standing for hours without anything?
Also she is a mare and we find her behaviour can be erratic could this be related to the ems and sugar levels? She has alway been a bit hormonal. Do you find medication helps them or do you manage with diet and exercise?Any advice would be great.

 

[SantaVera]

I feed my EMS cob soaked hay and also a net of straw. He has turnout onto a very bare paddock overnight with a net of straw. This way he lost weight and always has something to eat. If the pony looses too much weight on this regime reduce the straw and increase the soaked hay. This works for us.

 

[GypsGal1718]

Small holed haynets and straw mixing

 

[maya2008]

Exercise! Tonnes of exercise. If you have the diet sussed already, then exercise is the key.

 

[SEL]

I know loads of people who've had success with a straw / hay mix. Some evidence magnesium oxide helps regulate blood sugar levels but work (trot & canter) it essential for using up the glucose in their system.

My EMS mare is retired and if I kept her on a bald paddock she'd gorge. So she's with friends on a grass track that they get to eat down while she's muzzled. If the track is pretty bald then muzzle is off and on again for strip grazing

 

[vam]

Mine has EMS. I keep her muzzled on a track though spring, summer and most of autumn with a lot of timothy haylage. She comes in though the day to a large net with small holes. Winter she is out on grass, muzzled, during the day in at night with a small holed net again. This worked while she was off work with injury as well as when in work. I've used straw to bulk out haylage with success. Feed is minimum, a bit of chaff and speedibeet for her supplements.
I have found that she gets more 'touchy' when the grass is flushing, more sensitive to touch and she gets a bit footy as well. Mag ox and oliy herbs have helped enormously (dont have the hay belly any more either)
work is key though. Mine isnt in full work (might never be) and i have limited hacking to get trot and canter work in so hills and lots of forward walk make a difference.

 

[Jambarissa]

We have done very well with muzzle during the day March to October and trickle net of soaked hay at night.

She is kept on the slimmer side, condition score of 2.5 really but is doing incredibly well and has been for many years.

Limited exercise because we don't have a capable jockey small enough but fields are huge and hilly with large herds and they move all day.

 

[2 Dragons]

Mine tested negative for EMS, but I think he would have it if I didn't manage him in an EMS-friendly way.
He always has access to a strip grazed paddock, while it's pretty bare he can always find a bit of grass, nettle or bush to nibble on. This is topped with soaked hay. When I feed him hay in his shelter I always give him a bit loose and the rest in a small holed haynet. This way he can get something into his tummy and then he slows down eating. I also think exercise is the key- he usually is ridden 4 or 5 times a week and lunged once. Try to lots of trot and canter plus hill work. I also hack with bigger horses so he has to march to keep up.
He also has Cushings and was hormonal before he started medication so it might be worth looking at this with your mare.

 

[sparky1981]

Mine tested negative for EMS, but I think he would have it if I didn't manage him in an EMS-friendly way.
He always has access to a strip grazed paddock, while it's pretty bare he can always find a bit of grass, nettle or bush to nibble on. This is topped with soaked hay. When I feed him hay in his shelter I always give him a bit loose and the rest in a small holed haynet. This way he can get something into his tummy and then he slows down eating. I also think exercise is the key- he usually is ridden 4 or 5 times a week and lunged once. Try to lots of trot and canter plus hill work. I also hack with bigger horses so he has to march to keep up.
He also has Cushings and was hormonal before he started medication so it might be worth looking at this with your mare.

Thankyou so helpful. Does yours have medication too or just management?

 

[sparky1981]

Thanks for all your help. Will try the straw mix and am trying to sort her a track system

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Exercise! Tonnes of exercise. If you have the diet sussed already, then exercise is the key.

This.

Mine, a gelding, also was on metformin which was a game changer. It helped get his insulin levels down and he weight fell off him as we exercised twice a day for a while. He had 15 degree rotation in both fronts and 3 ml of sole.....vet kept saying he should be crippled.....while he was broncing round the stable on only one danilon. We have to inject with ACP to keep him quiet.

He came sound and we have another five years with him. A cushings diagnosis and arthritis which meant he couldnt be ridden caused us to pts.


If your vet is open to meds that might help. Not all horses need to stay on them, mine did.

 

[Melandmary]

I have 2 with ems, 1 who is ridden and the other not. From November till now they have 12 hrs turn out at night on a field of foggage, come in for 12 hours to Timothy hay ( tested) fed in small holed hay nets. In previous years they have been muzzled but this year I am creating them a small track area so that they can go out unmuzzled I hope. Just waiting for the ground to dry up enough to do so. I am careful to avoid turnout when sugars are high in the grass eg. Never after a frost or in the afternoon.Both ponies have lost weight. First signs of puffy eyes or footiness on the handstand and they will be off the grass. I think it has taken me a couple of years to tweak what works for them. Last year mary only had a few hours turn out per day in a muzzle so with this new adjustment in place I hope she will have a more normal summer as the movement is key in her losing weight- well over 100 kg now. They have an ems friendly diet no alfalfa, soya, cereal or molasses. They get oily herbs , salt and vit/ mineral supplement and I think trinity products help

 

[2 Dragons]

Thankyou so helpful. Does yours have medication too or just management?

He has Prascend for his Cushings, but no other medication

 

[Highmileagecob]

Please try not to restrict food, but find ways to slow down the intake. Work out how much she should be having and either use a trickle net or double net. Divide between two or three nets, and bulk out with straw to keep her busy. Exercise as much as possible, because exercise drops insulin levels. Use a grazing muzzle if you turn out on pasture.
My oldie is now 29 and was diagnosed as possible EMS around twelve years ago, and the above routine has kept him sound and fit. A couple of years ago he started losing teeth, which means the grazing muzzle is no longer used, and at least 50% of his intake is now forage replacer. Good luck, I hope you can make it work.

 

[teacups]

Mine gets a weighed out ration of hay which is mixed with straw, soaked and divided up into about 5 nets. He's close to home which helps as it makes it easy to give a net at various intervals. They are wolfed down but it means he's not without for too long - also he knows when the next is coming which reduces stress. Allowed out onto grass but the time depends on time of year and grass growth/frost/etc. but can vary from only 3 hours to 8 hours. He has a stable attached to a small enclosed yard so does move about. No muzzle.

ETA there has been no need for medication yet, but if necessary I'd give him ertugliflozin to get the insulin levels down - at least that's what was recommended by the vet.

ETA again: and yes the nets are wolfed down despite small holed nets. It's impressive stuff, watching him.

 

[Katelouise]

I totally relate to your post and sympathise as it's tough. My 6 year old Irish cob has EMS. He is a typical good doer and a hangry sod. He was on steglatro (human trialed diabetic drug) and it helped with the initial weight loss and balancing his insulin but then his levels stabilized and he then got hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) where the drugs stripped too much out so under our vets supervision we weaned him off the tablets. We are now in a really good place. I label read everything sugar wise but am also aware for the need for food for energy so he can work hard enough to keep the weight off..such a hard balance.

I feed 10kg of soaked hay and use the shires soft mesh haylage nets that are gentle on their teeth. I tried straw as extra forage but be careful of impaction colic. I find it better mixing that into your soaked hay (after soaking) if you do feed it. Saracens said he can have an extra 2kg of straw a day which is alot of extra food for little calories in return.

Simple systems meadow bricks twice a day to keep him occupied and keep the hanger at bay. My vet tested if these spiked his glucose before feeding them (ate one on an empty stomach then did bloods) and they didn't so he can have those.

Diet wise he has a handful of Dengie meadow grass chaff LITE...I was previously on thunderbrooks but the dengie lite has a much lower sugar content and has cinnamon. Balancer wise he is on topspec performance balancer LITE which I much prefer to the Baileys and Saracens performance balancer as it gives him the energy to work hard but it's specifically for good doers. Table salt in both feeds. He was also out on a magnesium based calmer to take the edge of his hanger panicking (was obsessed with food and became a dragger!) which again helped take the edge off.

Work work work....he is ridden 6 days a week, varied work so he doesn't get bored, loads of poles, lots of transitions to get his back end moving, lunging, even in hand walking before bed etc so he gets his steps in .0). this has been the biggest change for us. We watch the grass intake. Watch the hours in spring grass (early morning the worse time) and we're trying a muzzle this year. With this routine we have gone down from 634kg to 572kg and aiming for 540. Body score gone down two points, no longer got a cresty neck or apple bum and so much happier in himself and more energy.

I weigh him regularly too so if his weight starts to creep up, I can do something about it.

It's really hard work but my vet is so happy with our latest blood work and there's been a huge difference in my horse. Being only 6 means life long management but I will do anything to keep the laminitis as bay (touch wood so far no signs).

Wishing you lots of luck, EMS is not fun but there can be positive outcomes and there are lots of things you can do, just need to work out what works for you. Good luck x.

 

[santas_spotty_pony]

My mare is currently managing fine on limited grazing and two nets of dry hay per day. I give her a larger haynet at night and a small one in the morning. She also has 1/2 scoop of Happy Hoof morning and night. She is exercised about 3 times per week and is looking great at the moment. If her weight increases too much, I will start soaking the hay again and exercise her more.

 

[tda]

Just reviving this thread as one of my ponies has been diagnosed as EMS . Wondering how your horses behaved before diagnosis, how does the condition make them physically feel? My mare has always been good to handle (once you have caught her ) but she does not really like being touched. She also has virtually no forward momentum at all now, every step is a push is this likely to be due to the EMS

 

[maya2008]

Just reviving this thread as one of my ponies has been diagnosed as EMS . Wondering how your horses behaved before diagnosis, how does the condition make them physically feel? My mare has always been good to handle (once you have caught her ) but she does not really like being touched. She also has virtually no forward momentum at all now, every step is a push is this likely to be due to the EMS

Yes to it making them ‘slow’ due to ouchy hooves. Our Shetland was uncharacteristically quiet to ride. Levels under control = back to speedy sonic pony!

 

[CarlungM]

I have found with my Highland trickle nets, muzzle soaked hay and as much exercise as he can tolerate. Nothing else has worked for him.

 

[tda]

Thank you both, no obvious signs of laminitis the ponies do have turnout but not much grass, I feed dryish haylage all year round.
Vet has suggested medication to start with, I can't remember the name of It

 

[maya2008]

Thank you both, no obvious signs of laminitis the ponies do have turnout but not much grass, I feed dryish haylage all year round.
Vet has suggested medication to start with, I can't remember the name of It

We had no signs of lami apart from the slowing down for a good 18 months I would say before she went down with it. Seemed fine on stony tracks, wasn’t keen on jumping (but is old) and a little steadier is all. It was only once we’d been through the resulting lami and medication, got her levels below 10 and her back in work that she suddenly got a new lease of life and turned back into her younger self. Now if she doesn’t get enough work and her levels rise, first sign is she starts being more steady and better behaved and we know that’s the warning before she tips over. So I would guess she’d had very low grade grumbling laminitis for all that time - just not enough to cause anything significant to happen.

 

[tda]

Yes, I should have definitely thought low grade laminitis. Today is weigh tape day, a starting point to work from