Laminitis really does have a strong effect on people...

Nudibranch

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Reading the ongoing thread about the YO/owner issue just reminded me how devisive laminitis can be, and how it really can bring out the worst in people.

I am a lami owner, she's cushings too but successfully managed. For many years I was the only livery on the yard, then one day without me hearing anything a new pony turned up. I had to walk through his paddock to catch mine, so on the way I stopped to say hello and pat him. When I got back to the yard I was very rudely and aggressively spoken to by a man who'd evidently been watching unseen from a distance, accusing me of feeding his daughters' pony apples?! When I patiently explained that I never feed anyone else's horse, and that one of my own is laminitic, he did calm down but I've never felt comfortable in his presence since.

I appreciate people worry about lami (so do I) but going on the attack and making false accusations isn't pleasant for anyone.

On the other hand, at the previous yard, many many years ago, I ended up almost going to court because a busybody neighbour kept feeding mine in the lami paddock, telling me she was underweight, etc, etc. She'd actually cut grass and throw it over for her, and give her hard feed. In the end a letter threatening to sue for for any resulting vets fees was the only way to get her to stop... and this from a horse owner.

It just strikes me what an emotive issue it can be, especially when not all sides are party to the correct information!
 
I have been at 2 yards previously, where because my boy was wearing a muzzle i was clearly starving him, twice i went up to find grass cuttings in his stable when he came in.. along with feed bowls.. now he was neither underweight or looked starved. I spoke to these people and explained his situation - and that the reason he got Laminitis in the first place was through grass cuttings - and to not feed him. Needless to say the feeding still continued so i moved yards.
 
I have a laminitic and people feeding infuriates me! I am not on a yard but have a footpath beside the field which is well walked and I've ended up having to fence my horse away from people for her own protection! I've still found chewed up apples and carrots in the field, despite signage saying not to feed for health reasons. It's not just the odd apple either, but carrier bags full.

When you are the one left with the huge vets bills and watching a pony suffer then it does make you hyper sensitive to people interfering.

I would understand more if said pony was thin, but she needs to be on a permanent diet!
 
Laminitis has a strong and very painful effect on horses so no wonder humans get upset. It's the owners/carers that don't bother that worry me tbh.
 
It is a nightmare when you have people who don't understand. Thankfully a lot of people on our yard completely understand and don't feed Kelly (or any others for that matter) anything of the sort.
Its just that anything could cause it all to flare up again and for months and months of pain and careful management, one carrot or apple isn't worth it! I can understand people getting annoyed.
K x
 
which is exactly why I posted on here for advice (YO from lami post)!!

Running a small DIY yard of course I would take a stance on a client if I felt that the horse was being neglected on more obvious issues, but as the OP has stated, people have very strong views on what, or what not to do with laminitics.

I would hate people telling me what to do with my horses, so in turn would have to be 100% that I had my facts straight before I started telling anyone else how to look after theirs.....

As with the majority of posts on here, I suppose the answer is to do what is right for that individual horse, even if it is not strictly 'by the book'.
 
What pees me off is owners who carefully do all the management regarding restricting grazing and muzzling but fail to exercise the horse and over rug while moaning about its weight.
 
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