Long term laminitis prone mare - no longer prone??

[minesadouble]

I have an old mare, 28 years old now. I've had her for 12 years, she has always been prone to laminitis and subject to very careful management, despite which she has had 2 bouts whilst with me. I bred a foal from her at the grand old age of 22, the time she spent in foal/feeding her foal was the only time I let up on her restricitive diet, once the foal was weaned she was back on her very restricted grass regime.

She is quite arthritic behind now and 3 years ago I thought right, she's 25, she loves to eat yet spends her life on a strict diet, I'm going to give her a week on the good grass and PTS. She looked so well and happy at the end of that week I didn't have the heart to do the deed! Left her on the grass - result one round, shiny, healthy looking mare who would pass for a 12 year old! This is the third year I have let her have good grass, not enough to let her get obese, but way more than she could have coped with before. I can't understand how a horse for whom a sniff of good grass would have her off her feet, can go to being able to cope with good grass with no ill effects?? She looks a million dollars at the moment, she's always been an awkward character and I just wonder if she knows of my plan for her and has decided she would quite like to hang around for bit longer......

 

[Crugeran Celt]

I have a mare that I bred and had to retire her at the age of 7 due to foot problems that started with laminitis and then developed into major abscess issues over and over again in all four feet. The laminitis started in the winter, she was not over weight and was being ridden at least 5 days a week. My vet and farrier were brilliant and both said that her laminitis was not grass related but a stress problem. She hated being kept in and it was a nightmare in the spring when the grass came through. After restricting her for years, keeping her stabled, muzzled when out and still she went down with laminitis. On advice from my vet we decided to just leave her out and if the worst happened then at least she would die happy. She is now 22 lives out 24/7 all year round she is barefoot but trimmed every 8 weeks. She hasn't had laminitis or any abscess for nearly 10 years and is happy and healthy. Laminitis is not always grass related I know that. I have even considered bringing my mare back into work as she us healthier now than she has ever been.

 

[minesadouble]

That's really interesting. I know that laminitis can be triggered by stress, concussion, toxins, steroids etc., but in my mare's case grass was always the trigger. Good luck with your homebred, especially if you do decide to bring her back into work.

 

[Equi]

Its the timing. In spring there is a higher chance of laminitis, as the spring grass has more sugars. I treat my old mare as laminitis (despite farrier saying shes no lami at all) and she too spends most of her life on a diet but at this time of year i let her out for a good stuffing. Shes yet to founder on me.

 

[brighteyes]

It's not the first time I have heard of this. Laminitis episodes/attacks are put down to hormonal imbalance (covering stress hormones and those secreted by adipose tissue). It is largely the unnatural lifestyles we impose on animals with a tightrope sort of existence which depends on their evolved metabolism and the seasons, that disrupts the normal ebb and flow of body condition etc.

We over-feed pretty much wholesale and above all it boils down to equines being too fat at the wrong time of year and the (variable) amount of years of chronic obesity/over-feeding required to take an indivual to tipping point.

I'm wagering it's the return to natural lifestyle and the ability to cancel out or redress the previous tendencies to laminitis which has enabled the marvellous turnaround. Must be fab to see them enjoying twilight years so unexpectedly naturally.

 

[BraidedTail]

My old pony was like this - cushings and lami prone discovered shortly after we were given him, about 8 yrs ago, so kept accordingly. Last 3/4 yrs same thoughts as you - getting on in years; arthritis, cushings, had copd anyway, weight loss, start thinking pts - so left him a bit more and more on the longer grass keeping an eye on him so he could have the last weeks/months happy. Weight gained, looked great; pts put off. Sadly did lose him this spring as he wasn't doing great any longer, losing weight etc. But the last at least 2 summers he spent on the grazing set aside for winter, long lush grass, no problems and no sign of lami. Don't know why though?
Glad she's doing well - I'd let her carry on; it's lovely to see it when you think you're about to lose them. The time will come eventually as it did for mine, but he did have a lovely last winter eating all the best grass - my other one has to be restricted too so it helped that old pony got to eat the good stuff first!

 

[zandp]

My oldie - 21, cushings/ems, is out this summer 24/7 almost, I have set a track up but she's had loads more grass than normal and is doing very well this summer. Previous years she's always been in during the day and out overnight and has always had a bout of LGL at some point.

 

[WandaMare]

Same happened with my old pony. Terrible lami prone pony for years, couldn't soak his hay enough, on Metformin, woodchip paddock, everything. Then a couple of years ago he stopped being lami prone, first sign was he started losing weight. So I gradually started to increase his diet, stopped soaking hay etc and now he can have as much as he likes. I can't bring myself to turn him out on good grass but he is out all day on poor grass with hay and looks really well. It was strange the way his metabolism suddenly changed. Also the intensity of his sweet itch reduced at a similar time, he only needs his rug now when the midges are particularly bad. Before he was the type who would still itch even covered in lotions and potions and wearing a good SI rug.

 

[Tobiano]

fascinated by this thread! And encouraged!

I don't have any equine examples but it reminds me of my own experience. I had horrendous hay fever from age 11 (when I basically spent the summer in a hayloft at the stables ) …. until I had my son when I was 30. Since then, touch wood, I haven't had any hay fever symptoms. (22 years)

…. so, I am slightly wondering whether there is any linkage with OP's mare, to her having had a foal in the last few years. No idea how any of this works, but it is so fascinating!

And lovely to see that OPs mare seems to have a new lease of life