Laminitis

Twinkle Twinkle

Twinkle Twinkle

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There seems to be a real increase this year at our yard there is a few and l was talking to the farrier and he has more cases of ponies with it this year due to the weather catching a lot of people out. Most of the horses and ponies are all on restricted turnout and got grazing muzzles on and it is still happening there are a few with medical conditions that have got it but it so horrible to see them in so much pain.
I am going to get my girl a muzzle as l am getting a bit worried even though she is not cresty or overweight l don`t want to take a chance and l would rather her be out in the field than stuck in her stable.
 
Yes, mine has a muzzle on for the first time this year (I've had her 10 years) we are on a yard with lots of grass and only 2 in the field. She's never had laminitis and is only slightly overweight. Prevention is better than cure :). She's still not impressed with the muzzle though :rolleyes:.
 
Chestnut mare said:
Yes, mine has a muzzle on for the first time this year (I've had her 10 years) we are on a yard with lots of grass and only 2 in the field. She's never had laminitis and is only slightly overweight. Prevention is better than cure :). She's still not impressed with the muzzle though :rolleyes:.
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I am of the same mind as you prevention is better than cure l have never used a muzzle but over the last few days l have noticed her belly getting big l have cut down on her turnout until l get her a muzzle on tuesday.
 
I'm extra watchful at the moment because it was dry for so long and then the rain came and the grass just grew so quickly. Mine is muzzled from 8 in the morning 'til about 11 at night, with lunging, long reining or even just walking in hand is her daily exercise. Fingers crossed for the rest of the year!
 
My 17hh Irish draught is in the process of recovery after getting it for the first time in his life!!! He isnt overweight not on particularly good grass and it just struck out of the blue!!!! Take all the preventative measures you can is my advice you never know when it will strike:eek:
 
Chestnut mare said:
Bryngelenponies does your horse graze with the muzzle on?
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It took 30 mins to teach her how to- if she didn't I certainly wouldn't leave it on her for so long. I pushed a few bits of grass through the hole and she quickly got the idea, she still gives me doey eyes when I walk away from her after putting it on but 5 mins later when I look out the window she's in the field happily grazing.
 
Thank God for the sense people!! The grass has SHOT through and 9 liveries on the yard have come down with it in the past few months, with one resulting in PTS due to severe pedal bone rotation.
Ours has been diagnosed with Cushings and is (and always has been) treated as a strict lami horse, I can't stress enough how important a prevention is...!
I'd much prefer Kel to only be out for an hour a day with a grass muzzle and soaked hay as she is now, than be out 24/7 unlimited grazing but padded and buted up and end up stuck back in her box.
K x
 
Hi

I read a brill article and am sure it was H&H. I remember if its above 5 centigrade the grass will be growing. Short little baby blades are the culprit as being juicy and full of rich nutrients for horses. So people get caught out as its been dry and the grass is short but if there is a dew(dampness in the morning sorry for stating the obvious what dew is) then it will b growing!

I would only turn out on long grass when it is becoming Hay like and dying/dry and seedy at the end of the summer. But even then watch it.

Frosty nights the same with the grass.

Currently I have made my enclosure smaller with the anticipated rain as the grass will bolt(we have long days of light too). I am in Anglia and we have been very dry here but have had a sprinkle of rain. Enough to start the grass off.

I have been caught out with frost on grass before. Upsetting to find your horse on its heels in pain when it is so avoidable.
 
Its like this folks, too much intake + too little exercise = laminitis.
We had a riding school 30 years ago and we never had laminitis. EVER.
The way we feed now is the problem. Not just the grass. Haylage in the winter PLUS hard feed means that our ponies/horses are coming out of the winter as fat as they went in , which is not good.
Grazing muzzles are good, but not the total answer. Maybe I am too old but these days I have gone back to managing my ponies the way I did thirty years ago. I do not rug my natives where possible, I move any that still look too "good" at the end of February onto poor grazing, and I feed more hay than before. Those on haylage (mares in foal, youngstock, and my stallion that lives out) get NO hard feed whatever.And I allow them to lose a little weight. Not starvation, but just to go back a bit.
I also think that many are not ridden the way they used to be. Horse ownership has become a status symbol amongst some. All the gear no idea kind of thing. They spend hours showing off the latest rugs,fashionable kit etc. But how long do they ride? maybe an hour or two a week. Then they wonder at their animal getting laminitis (thats spelt l-a-m-i-n-i-t-i-s not laminitus by the way) sorry its a pet hate of mine if they cant spell it how can they understand it!!
 
My girl has just turned 4 so is not doing a lot at the moment but in the next couple of weeks will start to do a lot more. My filly went most of the winter unrugged only when it snowed did l give in. She has no hard feed and has soaked hay when she is in.
 
Totally agree, our Sec A is 22 and as far as we know never has had lami before, he came out of winter a little poor looking and n ow looks a lot better, however he is in a starvation paddock during the day and turned out with my mare in the larger field with average amount of grass during the day. He has a handfull of dengie healthy hooves twice a day to get his breathing supplement in to him and a small section of horsehage in the morning when he goes in to his starvation paddock. He is ridden daily. He looks good at the moment but i check him with the weight tape daily and the minute he puts some on he will be in the starvation paddock all day until he drops off. Our vet came up last week and said he has never looked so good!
its bloody hard work to manage but has got to be done. a lady at our yard has a cob who has been grossly over weight all winter, huge crest, fat pads all over him, the lot. he came down with lami a few weeks ago and is really quite poorly and still no where near sound. She has another cob who is also very over weight and has left him in her huge field full of lush grass, he is retired so not excercised and seems totally unconcerned that he might meet the same fate as her other horse. Some people are just unbelievable!!
 
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