Is this cruel?

[mazziek]

Having read a few other posts im worried about asking this but i would like some good advice. My highland x has gone lame in the front o/s i have taken him off the grass he gets a slice of v v well soaked hay in morning and same later. he gets out in field for 2-3 hours and spends most of his time in sand school. is this too harsh? he really needs to loose a fair bit of weight, seems to be the minute he goes over 500kg he goes lame on the same leg! he has had laminitus in past on that leg so im just trying extra hard to make sure i can get his weight down. He also has egg bar shoes and it has been suggested to put equi-pak in his feet. am i being too cruel? few murmurings have been heard at the yard that i am.

 

[BSJAlove]

not at all. your doing it for your horses benift and you know if you turn him out it will result in a lame horse. as long as he gets to strtch his legs and gets enough food and water. i dont see it as cruel.

 

[MrsMozart]

Could put him out for longer if he were wearing a muzzle?

Does he have anything to munch on when in the sand school? Just be careful he doesn't get colic if he's rooting around for food in the school

.

 

[mazziek]

re: muzzles, last time he rubbed himself raw trying t get muzzle off! so unfort muzzles not an option! hes a very stubborn boy! he likes his grub!

 

[Irishcobs]

How over weight is he? The problem with not feeding alot is that the body can go in to starvation mode and they won't loose weight.
We have a horse at the yard that is a good 150kgs overwieght. He is getting lots of exercise and as little hay as we can but he still has to eat to loose wieght.

 

[AmyMay]

No, you sound incredibly sensible. You obviously know your horse very well - and manage him accordingly.

 

[HayleyandBob]

you obviously care a great deal so i would says your not! being cruel !
is there anyway you can limit his grass intake (smaller area, less grass, grazign muzzle) if you suspect its laminitus?
your allowign him to have some time to roam around the only thing id be slightly worried about was if there was grass aroudn the school he might be nibbling and at the same time accidently eating sand but perhaps its only my horse that would be greedy enough to try that

How tall is he? and is he sound for you to excercise him?
Good luck !

 

[Ziggy_]

Ditto the others - its not cruel, its sensible - although one slice of hay doesn't sound much. As you're soaking the calories out of it anyway, could you give him a little more just to keep his gut ticking over? Obviously you know how long it takes him to eat it and if he's not going long periods of time without anything, he should be fine

 

[amycov]

Sounds a good plan to me. Would you be able to soak the hay for quite a while and increase the amount slightly? This is just so that he has something to munch on without getting too much goodness from it that could bring on the lami.

 

[teddyt]

No, its sensible. At least the horse is in a school, so can move about. Much better than a stable. agree with ziggy though, it doesnt sound like much hay for a 24 hour period. If you are soaking it that removes the calories, so it is ok to give more to give the gut something to work on without the worry of weight gain.

 

[amycov]

Didn't realise that Ziggy had said pretty much the same thing as me.

 

[mazziek]

i should have also mentioned he gets a small diet chaff feed with his supplements and his slim line! as for exercise he seems to be fine until he has rider on him, although he ok in walk. i have been walking him round and round the school t try give him bit exericse, regards the grass at size of skl, theres none,thankfully! ok i might give him an extra slice of hay. i usually soak it for 24hrs minium. thanks for all the great advice so far.

 

[Ranyhyn]

How about double netting his hay too - so he can only get a bit at a time?

 

[amycov]

By diet chaff do you mean hi-fi lite? Hi-fi lite or happy hoof are recommended by the lami trust. You probably already know that, but thought I'd just mention it anyway.

 

[Donkeymad]

Sounds like you are being a very responsible and sensible owner, so well done there.

How do you give the hay? If possible, it is a good idea to space it around the school so he gets more exercise walking around to eat it. I also agree that, as the hay is well soaked, you could give more, or maybe bulk it out with some straw.

 

[Cobbysmum]

You are not being cruel, I have my three ponies, two are laminitics and one has the potential to be on a half acre paddock which is very nearly bare. We give hay morning and evening and half a bucket of hi-fi lite at night which keeps the gut going. Touch wood they have all been sound for the last few years - I am sometimes tempted to turn them out in one of the big fields but from past experience I've found even a couple of hours on good grass can bring on an attack.

 

[SNORKEY]

No, id just say your being sensible, is there a bald padock so he can go out all day? a couple of yards ive been to had about half/one an achre of just soil, with barley any grass growing in it, to turn the laminetics out on with a little hay.

 

[f_s_]

A laminitic needs 1 1/2 % of it's body weight in hay (soaked) per day, if the horse or pony has been diagnosed. Recommended by my vet.

So, it seems very little I know, but you need a weight tape to determine his/her weight and then weigh the hay.

I divided the amount into three small holed nets and fed them during the day and night.

What you're doing is not cruel it is extremely sensible. Don't listen to people who tell you otherwise, if your horse or pony has any suspicion of laminitis, get a vet, and feed according to their instructions, coupled with any pain relief that is necessary.

Good luck, and I hope your horse is better soon

 

[YorksG]

Second the adding straw to the hay to bulk it out for the overweight greedy pony, we have had to do this in the past and it seems to work well.

 

[Enfys]

Not cruel, sensible.

No doubt if you left him to get crippled and obese out in the field there would be murmurings about that too. You can't please everyone all the time, and actually, other than yourself and your horse, you don't have any obligation to please anyone else at all.

You do as you feel best and sod the curtain twitchers.

 

[BankEndRescue]

There will always be people who " know best" unfortunately. Ignore them, you are doing exactly what any responsible horse owner would do.

 

[charliesarmy]

Very sensible I think and doing the upmost for your ponio....could you find a good straw supplier to add abit to his hay just to bulk out abit.....

 

[kellyeaton]

strip graze him then put him in school with your section of soaked hay and a trug bucket of hi fi lite to keep him ticking over but with no calories!

 

[Mari]

have you sought advice from your vet / any of the nutritionists available? Baileys Feeds nutritionist came out to see my horse & gave advice after discussing things with me & her visit was free!