laminitics - turnout after rain?

[snowstormII]

My companion pony has been on restricted turnout on a nearly bare patch for months now as he had a bout of lami in Feb. He has between 2 and 4 hours per afternoon as advised by my lami vet. He tested borderline for Cushings in April and is to be re-tested in September. My current question is, how safe is it to turn out now that we have had loads of rain (now it is warm, sunny and humid) and grass greening up and growing by the hour!? Should I halve his time out and see how he goes, or keep him in till it slows down, or what?

 

[JillA]

The grass after a dry spell and then rain is lethal - it has continued to photosynthesise sugars in the sunlight but not grown for a few weeks. As soon as the rain enables it to grow, it will push out all those sugars. I don't know your set up as in do you have a starvation paddock but I would be very very cautious with this flush of grass

 

[snowstormII]

My starvation paddock is about 20x40 of the shortest grass possible, or WAS! so I would definitely say it was sort of shocked grass, in survival mode, if that makes sense. I think it will just leap away now that it has had some rain and more warmth. I think that might mean that all the stored sugars, which ponio has been ok eating 2-4 hours of a day, will convert into growth and surely that means the level of sugar will decrease the longer the grass gets? He is no bother to keep in though, so if it is safer to continue his unsoaked 6kg hay a day, I am happy to do that. Maybe I'll give my vet a quick call to see what she advises!