Laminitis prevention

[heth1986]

I’m after some nutrition / turnout advice if possible. And I apologise in advance for the lengthy post!
I’m about to bring my daughters first pony, he is a beautiful 11.2 Welsh sec A, 13 yes old. He has not had laminitis previously however is currently stabled at night. When we bring him home I’d ideally like to keep him out 24/7 unless the weather is horrific but I’m worried due to his type that he may be prone to laminitis.
The field he will be turned out in is 3 acres, I’ve split it in half with a view to being able to rest half of the field at a time and hopefully always have ample grass available to him.
At the moment, the grass is plentiful but is “old” grass that has been through the winter rather than brand new spring grass although I’m sure there’s some in there. It was last cut for hay in August and and it has been left alone since then. The field has never been seeded or fertilised other than what the cows have left on it and it therefore a good mixture of grasses and other but and bobs rather than just luscious green grass.
So my question is, should I restrict his grazing from day one to avoid significant weight gain or are we a bit safer due to the type and age of grass in there? Have I done the right thing splitting the field into 2 or would I be better giving him the 3 acres?
And any other advice on keeping him out 24/7 safely would be massively appreciated, I want to get it right!

 

[heth1986]

PS should I also cut the grass before I put him on or should I leave it longer?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would let him eat the long grass it has less sugar so essentially safer, 3 acres is an awful lot for 1 pony long term especially in the warmer months, you might find you will have to have a bit that is munched down so bare and put him on that for either the day or night.

I think leaving him on good grass 24 7 will make him overweight and then that's where its dangerous as you risk him getting EMS.

His also in his early teenage years so cushings is a possibility that will also put him at risk.

Will he be on that much grass on his own? And how often will he be ridden?

 

[Burnttoast]

I would put a track around the perimeter and save the middle for the winter. Never spray with selective herbicides and try to make sure any other forage you feed is unsprayed. Will he have company?

 

[heth1986]

Sorry I forgot about the track, there is a track around the outside too. I left it so that the tractor can get round to cut the hedges but there’s no reason why he can’t graze it!
Yes we’ll be getting a little lead rein pony for my youngest too so there’ll be two ponies on it.
He’ll be ridden most days, I’ll lunge / walk him out in the winter months when the girls can’t get back from school before dark!

 

[heth1986]

I would put a track around the perimeter and save the middle for the winter. Never spray with selective herbicides and try to make sure any other forage you feed is unsprayed. Will he have company?

We don’t spray at all here as we have bees, we grow our own hay too so no nasties

 

[Burnttoast]

I would def put them both on the track then, depending on your soil say from April to November - they will get plenty of movement then and if by any chance you do run out of grass feed hay from slow feeders placed around the track, away from the water. The more you can encourage movement the better. Great about the spraying

 

[PurBee]

Ontop of other advice mentioned, i’d add that your current long grass that hasnt been grazed or mowed since last august needs checking for quality.
Depending on the climate in your area depends whether the old autumn/winter growth is healthy to graze.
Mouldy grasses eaten can cause lami/gut issues - so it’s the first job to do to check the field closely.

The way to check is to look up-close as you walk around the field and if you see any long grass seed heads with black dust on them, or long grass leaves that are yellowing with black spots or smudges on them, then ideally you’d want to get it mowed.
Fresh long green grass is far healthier that long yellow blackspot old grass.

You wouldn’t need to mow it low and scalp the field, just get the mouldy old growth taken off. Or get a herd of cows/sheep to graze it off as they can handle rubbish quality grass and hay much easier than horses.

How it’s mowed depends on the severity/density of the old growth.
If you find a few blades here and there yellowing and a few stalks poking-up that are yellow/white/mouldy that are metres away from each other - but the majority of the grass is fresh growth green grass - i wouldnt bother mowing at all.
If the ‘main colour’ of the grass when walked through is long yellow/black spot grass and long white stalks with black dust - that is not a field a horse should graze in.

Horses will graze overgrown old-growth fields by seeking out the fresh growing grass underneath the old stuff. Yet by moving through mouldy long grass grazing low fresh grass leaves, they disturb mould spores on the grasses theyre leaving and inevitably ingest spores and breathe them in as the spores are easily airborne.

Your field is likely fine, but there are some climatic regions of the british isles/ireland where old winter growth wouldnt fare well, and is more likely to develop mould issues over winter, so im just warning you to check that.

Mycotoxicosis is a very common cause of gut/feet issues - avoid mould with horses is all i can advise to take seriously. Mouldy/musty hay is fairly common, and we soak/steam/clean it in all ways, but that should be avoided and best quality clean-smelling hay and clean grazing pays for itself in the longterm health of the horses.

3 acres is plenty for 2 welsh ponies, and to split it up and have a track sounds the ideal set-up to allow grass to rest and grow, without getting eaten too low and become toxic due to it being stressed from over-grazing.

 

[heth1986]

That’s all really helpful, thankyou everyone!

 

[meleeka]

It’s great that you already have a track, but if there’s a lot of grass you may need to strip graze that to start with. I find it works to strip graze the middle using polyposts, only moving a couple per day. That way you aren’t having to supply hay and he’ll also have grass all year.

Definitely do not fall the hungry face! Mine look as if they don’t have any grass on their track, but the amount the middle grows says otherwise.

 

[Goldenstar]

lots of advice here I would add you will need to work in exercise everyday or at the very least most days go for a walk take the pony .
My friend have little welshies as competition driving ponies they really have to manage their food intake to keep them slim and those ponies pull two adults and a carriage .
You need to be set up for for restricting i take from the start .
I would also buy a muzzle I have had muzzles on my horses all winter until that last cold spell .

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

If your small enough I would be riding them as well it definitely won't hurt them

 

[cowgirl16]

Ontop of other advice mentioned, i’d add that your current long grass that hasnt been grazed or mowed since last august needs checking for quality.
Depending on the climate in your area depends whether the old autumn/winter growth is healthy to graze.
Mouldy grasses eaten can cause lami/gut issues - so it’s the first job to do to check the field closely.

The way to check is to look up-close as you walk around the field and if you see any long grass seed heads with black dust on them, or long grass leaves that are yellowing with black spots or smudges on them, then ideally you’d want to get it mowed.
Fresh long green grass is far healthier that long yellow blackspot old grass.

You wouldn’t need to mow it low and scalp the field, just get the mouldy old growth taken off. Or get a herd of cows/sheep to graze it off as they can handle rubbish quality grass and hay much easier than horses.

How it’s mowed depends on the severity/density of the old growth.
If you find a few blades here and there yellowing and a few stalks poking-up that are yellow/white/mouldy that are metres away from each other - but the majority of the grass is fresh growth green grass - i wouldnt bother mowing at all.
If the ‘main colour’ of the grass when walked through is long yellow/black spot grass and long white stalks with black dust - that is not a field a horse should graze in.

Horses will graze overgrown old-growth fields by seeking out the fresh growing grass underneath the old stuff. Yet by moving through mouldy long grass grazing low fresh grass leaves, they disturb mould spores on the grasses theyre leaving and inevitably ingest spores and breathe them in as the spores are easily airborne.

Your field is likely fine, but there are some climatic regions of the british isles/ireland where old winter growth wouldnt fare well, and is more likely to develop mould issues over winter, so im just warning you to check that.

Mycotoxicosis is a very common cause of gut/feet issues - avoid mould with horses is all i can advise to take seriously. Mouldy/musty hay is fairly common, and we soak/steam/clean it in all ways, but that should be avoided and best quality clean-smelling hay and clean grazing pays for itself in the longterm health of the horses.

3 acres is plenty for 2 welsh ponies, and to split it up and have a track sounds the ideal set-up to allow grass to rest and grow, without getting eaten too low and become toxic due to it being stressed from over-grazing.

Some excellent information here!

 

[maya2008]

In my experience exercise is the key, and my vet very much agrees. Can be in-hand, on the lunge or ridden, but as much as you can. Regarding the grass, I would pop a grazing muzzle on - have had great success with the bucket muzzles (padded to stop rubbing) on ponies in large acreages. Keeps weight down, allows them to move as much as they want, then add the exercise and you’re sorted.

 

[heth1986]

Thankyou so much for all the advice, it really is appreciated. I haven’t kept my own horse / pony for almost 20 years so it’s fair to say I’m a little out of the loop!
The track isn’t fenced off well enough to use straight away as the perimeter is hedgerow that the deer pop through so I’ll need to run another wire around I think.
So my lose plan in the interim… I will take the top off the half where he will be turned out initially, only due to the amount of grass (no yellowing or mould… great advice again to check Thankyou). The other half we’ll leave and cut for hay in the summer and then he can move onto that one in time for autumn away from the neighbouring woodland as there is oak and sycamore in there. I think I might also stable him at night to begin with as this is what he and his guts are used to so I don’t want to overload him with grass and cause an issue. He’s also currently rugged up to the eyeballs (fully clipped) and fed hard feed twice a day (need to check exactly what) so another little win there if I can put a thinner rug on him and alter his feed according to his new grass.
Exercise wise, he’ll have 2 girls to entertain initially and I’m generally about during the day to do some work with him so I’m hoping we’ll be able to keep him as wonderfully fit as he already is… my OH has been joking about using him in the woods to help bring the felled logs etc down and now I’m thinking that might actually be a good idea!
I’m so excited to bring him home and all this help and advice and made it a lot less nerve wracking knowing how helpful people can be

 

[heth1986]

If your small enough I would be riding them as well it definitely won't hurt them

If only… I’m 5’9” and at least 10 stone

 

[hollyandivy123]

don't forget when you are looking at the starved creatures.........to look at the amount of poo, it might appear to be nothing to eat but it can be misleading

 

[Bobthecob15]

How are you getting on? I'm just about to move our 12.2 who is a good doer to a new livery where he will be out on grass more (currently stabled part of the day in summer and winter)...I'm terrified he will get fat on more grass!!
What hard feed is he on? I've spoken to Top Spec who recommended Anti-lam and top chop lite for him, he's never had laminitis either. I was going to soak his hay as they recommended that too, and try and get him in smaller paddocks! He gets ridden by my daughter 2 or 3 times a week at the moment, I perhaps need to work him/lunge when she's not able to ride (I'm far too big for him).

I'd love to have him at home but we only have a small 0.75 acre paddock which I guess would be enough for him but he would need company...and I don't think its enough for 2 sadly

 

[heth1986]

Hi
It’s all happened in the last few weeks I put him in what I thought was a small paddock, he put weight on really quickly, muzzled him in the day, had a lami scare (thankfully not), halved his field again, fell out with the muzzle, tried stabling him in the day, he hated it and got really stroppy (proper Welsh!)
So I’ve now ended up pushing back a load of brambles at the edge of the field and fencing that off for him to live out 24/7, hay at one end, water at the other to keep him moving. The paddock he’s in now is basically a dirt track and is the entrance to the track which I’m extending about a foot at a time every few days (late evening so that sugars are lower) so that I can control his grass intake a bit better. I give him soaked hay morning and evening.
He gets ridden every other day on average and i lunge him or walk him out in hand every day that I can, even if my daughter plans on riding him too.
It’s been a big learning curve, even with all the advice I’d already been given. Prevention is certainly better than cure and the lami scare was enough for me to take drastic action I wish I’d started with!

 

[heth1986]

PS the only hard feed he has is a small handful of alfalfa with a supplement the vet recommended

 

[maya2008]

Sounds like a good solution, and you’re trying everything you can.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Sounds like you are doing a fab job! So tricky isn't it? I've had a 20yr break like you and totally bypassed the pony stage so have never had to deal with laminitis risk before! Am absolutely terrified ours will get it when we move yards x