Low grade laminitis

atlantis

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Not been on for a while, but you guys are so good with the advice I hope you don't mind me posting.

So my mare, Lottie, is not lame. However yo moved them off fairly bare field with hay (due to mud after last weeks rain) onto pretty lush grass for a night. I was away and only found out late at night (Sunday). Came in sound in the morning but when I got there in the afternoon my mare had green slime poo stains all over her (used as a pillow) and looked pretty bloated and a little quiet. Walked out sound (and trotted on her own accord in her little 'area' but checked for pulses and they were there in all 4 feet.

I tubbed them in cold water for 30 mins, farrier coming tomorrow. Off grass on soaked hay. She is not a bit lame trotting around her little hardcore area or the arena and pulses settled now. She is fed thunderbrooks healthy chaff, pro hoof, linseed and turmeric (mainly as it means she eats her pro hoof). Token feed to get the minerals into her.

She was diagnosed with ems 2 years ago and I have been so so SO careful. My poor yo feels guilty, even though my mare isn't lame, and I don't think realised how sensitive she is to grass. Her two are eating the field down and are fine. She has been so helpful letting me put her on the hardcore yard to get her off the grass but near her mates and moving a bit. We've discussed a track but her pony doesn't respect electric fencing so she is thinking next year. There is some surfacing coming in before the winter with the track fences hopefully by the summer.

Anything else I can do? I have read a bit about horses self medicating from the hedgerow. What sort of thing should I be looking for? Not really any safe/suitable hedgerows near us so I'd have to go foraging for her.

I'm desperate to get her moving and working again to help with fitness. She has piled weight on over the last week. I'm waiting to see farrier (very well regarded farrier who specialises in barefoot - recommended him on here) tomorrow. The growth in her feet from the grass in this last week is phenomenal!! She def needs a trim.

Any further advice. I'm so glad I've caught this. One more night and I think it would have been a different story. I want to do everything in my power to prevent full blown laminitis.
Mrhsnks fir reading the essay!!!

Jx and Lottie x x x
 

noblesteed

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As a rule if my laminitc gets like that I bring him in immediately for a few days and treat him as lami til his pulses go down. He has just had a week in but is now sound again.
SOmethings that help my laminitic - rosehip powder, milk thistle to remove toxins, magnesium oxide powder. Bute for first couple of days to prevent them getting too much inflammation/pain.
Not sure if linseed is good for laminitis- I wouldn't personally give it to mine. You can get feeds more suited to lami horses. TopSpec anti lam balancer is very good. As a chaff d and h safe and sound or mollichaff hoof kind suit my horse.
It will take her longer to come sound on a hardcore yard as it will hurt her feet. Especially if she is trotting - ouch!
She might be better on soil or better still in her stable for a few days.
My laminitic can cope in the main field with his friends in a muzzle. He is much happier with his friends.
You could tape off a corner of the field for her, stick her friends in now while she's off the grass then once they have eaten it down you can put her back in. Then she can see her mates.
 

Micky

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Have a look at the laminitis site for helpful info re prevention..unfortunate incident for you but you have caught it in good time..keep an eye on her walking and turning over the next few days..if she's still footy, then I would recommend x rays to check all sides ok inside her hoof...otherwise keep doing what your doing, no amount of natural herbs etc will prevent laminitis, management is the key and correct diet that suits your horse, esp with EMS..exercise is one of the biggies in keeping them free from lami etc....very short grass can be equally bad for them, so either muzzle or strip graze...my ppid horse is strip grazed but has prep been muzzled, I ride and lunge x 4/5 a week, hi fi molasses free chop to get supplements down him (pro hoof, salt, micronised linseed) and half a carrot for pills, soaked hay all year round...nice to hear someone who is trying their damndest for their horse..good luck..and have a look at website!
 

atlantis

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Bit of an update. Lottie has been fine for the last few weeks and is currently out with yo's horses on bare field again with hay. This isn't soaked but ad lib in 2 large bales. Not tested either. No longer got the use of the small yard. She has never been unsound, no short stepping on harder ground, doesn't enjoy very large stones on hard ground but walking out well on hack. Farrier very happy with her feet.

I am trying to hack every morning before work and then school on the afternoons/evenings. However hacking is pretty rubbish, 2 short routes before you hit very busy roads. Off road routes are rutted and therefore walking only. I know you can get Fitness up walking but I do feel she needs more faster work.
School is on a slight slope with a sand surface that needs replacing. Grass growing through all over. This has been promised but not happened as yet or any time soon. YO doesn't ride on the school and I'm the only other livery. I have been doing lots of in hand work so it's not been too bad but ready to move up to trot and canter work and the school isn't suitable really.

I feel like I'd like to move. Mare is settled where she is but I feel I need to be doing hard work with her and restrict her hay intake / soak it which isn't possible ATM due to current TO arrangements. YO I think still feels I am being too careful/worrying too much. She's not said as much but I get the feeling. I have a yard in mind but not sure if they even have space.

Thoughts welcome. She is ok where we are but it's not perfect in my opinion, but where is.
 

be positive

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I think you are "ready" to move, you have been thinking about it for some time and if you can find somewhere that offers better hacking and schooling facilities then it is probably time to go so you can get her fitter and enjoy her more, my caveat is don't compromise on the turnout she will not do well, or rather will do too well, on well managed grazing that is looked after for it's appearance not for the health of the ponies, however much exercise you can give her it will not keep her safe if she gets too much rich grass or you end up keeping her in to avoid it.

I would be concerned that she is on adlib dry hay, my fatties are getting no hay and doing extremely well, 1 is kept on a tiny bare patch having a token amount of soaked hay and not losing any weight which is fine but on adlib she would be piling weight on.
 

atlantis

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I think you are "ready" to move, you have been thinking about it for some time and if you can find somewhere that offers better hacking and schooling facilities then it is probably time to go so you can get her fitter and enjoy her more, my caveat is don't compromise on the turnout she will not do well, or rather will do too well, on well managed grazing that is looked after for it's appearance not for the health of the ponies, however much exercise you can give her it will not keep her safe if she gets too much rich grass or you end up keeping her in to avoid it.

I would be concerned that she is on adlib dry hay, my fatties are getting no hay and doing extremely well, 1 is kept on a tiny bare patch having a token amount of soaked hay and not losing any weight which is fine but on adlib she would be piling weight on.

I think you're right. Lovely yard for us last year and great for me when moving from part livery and figuring out how to balance family life and pony with new job and business. However we've made loads of progress this year and she is working so well, we're getting a trailer this month and I'm ready to crack on.

The yard in mind I actually kept her at when I first bought her. Assisted diy, nice school, amazing hacking out the back fields off road for miles. Grazing is pretty good but no worse for Lottie than what she is on now, but I asked when I was there and they would allow a track around my field. I left because I needed part livery and also I wanted to be with my friend. On other ways it suits as we are looking at getting a pony for my daughter and the hacking is safer and there are children on the yard already, so more fun.

The ad lib hay does support the five of them, but she isn't loosing weight in it most definitely, even with working twice a day.
 
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