Laminitis - rest or ride?

[Bee3]

I was always under the impression that if a horse is laminitic, in the first instance you would rest the horse and keep stabled (if possible), then build up turn out time gradually, and you would not ride until there was no inflammation.

Is it now the done thing to not really rest the horse, but to keep it moving and as long as not too painful, to ride it?

I’m just a bit surprised at this method of treatment and wondered if this is now the correct way of managing a mild case of laminitis?

 

[Britestar]

Always rest until sound, and preferably had feet xrayed to ascertain if there's any rotation.

Then remedial trimming before considering back to work.

 

[Exasperated]

I was always under the impression that if a horse is laminitic, in the first instance you would rest the horse and keep stabled (if possible), then build up turn out time gradually, and you would not ride until there was no inflammation.

Is it now the done thing to not really rest the horse, but to keep it moving and as long as not too painful, to ride it?

I’m just a bit surprised at this method of treatment and wondered if this is now the correct way of managing a mild case of laminitis?

If this is your horse, please call an emergency vet, ASAP.
Treatments for laminitis have significantly and controversially varied over the years, but the additional weight of rider on inflamed laminitic structures, plus forced exercise (because a horse struck with this does NOT want to move) is unthinkably cruel - and potentially fatal.
Don’t.

 

[Jojo2go]

I was always under the impression that if a horse is laminitic, in the first instance you would rest the horse and keep stabled (if possible), then build up turn out time gradually, and you would not ride until there was no inflammation.

Is it now the done thing to not really rest the horse, but to keep it moving and as long as not too painful, to ride it?

I’m just a bit surprised at this method of treatment and wondered if this is now the correct way of managing a mild case of laminitis?

Whoever is prescribing this type of treatment is a hot mess. This is not any sort of management I've ever heard of and would write off anyone as any sort of horseperson who thinks this is a good idea.

 

[SEL]

Depends on how mild - pulses I'd keep moving, but any kind of awkward stance or lameness I wouldn't be riding.

 

[Bee3]

If this is your horse, please call an emergency vet, ASAP.
Treatments for laminitis have significantly and controversially varied over the years, but the additional weight of rider on inflamed laminitic structures, plus forced exercise (because a horse struck with this does NOT want to move) is unthinkably cruel - and potentially fatal.
Don’t.

Just to make clear, it’s not my horse, and certainly not how I managed a laminitic 20 years ago!

 

[paddy555]

can you define precisely what mild laminitis is in this case, what did the vet say, is the horse sound, pain, what is ridden? in boots and pads, a short walk at the horse's pace or galloping around the countryside. Has the cause of any mild laminitis been removed. The vet may well have been called to test for PPID and EMS> what did they advise. What did the x rays show?

Personally I wouldn't be riding but I may well be leading the horse around but it totally depends

 

[NinjaPony]

My EMS/cushings boy has had lami a few times and my treatment is always the same: immediate box rest on a very thick bed, no movement as far as possible, anti inflammatories to control pain and heart bars if needed to support feet. Box rest until sound on a hard surface. He’s recovered from all episodes with no rotation or ongoing damage to his feet. There is no way I would even consider walking a lame laminitic horse let alone ride.

 

[meleeka]

Gentle movement in a bare paddock, with padding where needed is very different to being ridden! No horse should be forced to be in pain, so box rest on a deep shavings bed while the feet are painful and potentially unstable is the standard treatment. Once the acute laminitis has passed and the horse is comfortable in a stable, and no rotation of sinking is evident, then they can be allowed to wander round in a pen, but this can only happen once they are comfortable enough.

 

[Landcruiser]

It depends how mild. Laminitis is inflamation of the laminae, which, if bad enough, causes them to break down and damage/destroy the connection between outer hoof and coffin bone. At its mildest it is pulses in legs, varying degrees of footiness for instance "a bit ouchy on stones but fine otherwise," and upwards from there to total immobility and possible sole penetration by the coffin bone. The hoof can't expand, so any inflamation in the body can cause issues in the feet.
I have a lot of experience of the lower end of the scale, having had a very "metabolic" horse for 15 years, and now a youngster with EMS. In my experience keeping them comfortable is key to allowing them to move, which is the natural state of a horse and helps them to metabolise whatever it is causing the issue. Boots and pads are great for this. Ideally I would allow free GRASS FREE movement in boots and pads which might include ridden exercise in *mild* cases. Movement in the hooves allows the hooves to function as a pump as they expand and contract, moving blood and potential swelling/inflamation through rather than pooling.
My mare is currently on a grass free track, barefoot. She's active and moves well, but still tentative over sharp stones. This improves after exercise - leading in over a pretty horrible track to tack up she's markedly more tentative than after riding (in front boots with pads). Mild pulses felt before exercise disappear with exercise.
This is my experience - obviously vet advice should be sought but IME box rest should be a last resort, not a first

 

[Exasperated]

Just to make clear, it’s not my horse, and certainly not how I managed a laminitic 20 years ago!

Good, and it should never be how anyone else ‘manages’ one again.

 

[HopOnTrot]

Raised pulses = padded hoof boots = sound

If padded hoof boots don’t make the horse sound and happy moving, no riding.

 

[maya2008]

For my EMS Shetland - the first sign is she slows down - and at that point you have to canter her on soft ground (in an arena preferably) or you will end up in a world of trouble. We had to put her on painkillers on vet advice (along with x-rays to check for rotation etc) to work her to get her insulin levels down enough that she was ok. That advice is specific to her though. Her specialist laminitis vet said to us she often recommends ponies are sent away to somewhere there is swimming as an option, because it takes care of the metabolic issues while avoiding pressure on their feet.

For any horse/pony without history when you have absolutely no idea what is going on, or for a full blow attack (beyond slowing down/going a bit more footy on stones) then you need to pull the pony off grass and stable with supportive bedding and low sugar forage along with getting a vet out to assess and treat.