Suncat
Well-Known Member
Greetings H&H Hive Mind.
My 10yr gelding has always been grass sensitive, up until now successfully managed with track grazing and hay in the spring and summer, but this year’s weather brought a bout of mild laminitis that only resolved with a few weeks of box rest, soaked hay diet and then turn out in a bare patch, building that up by tiny increments to a small strip. When I got optimistic about his ability to cope with a little more grass (advancing the strip) I found out I was wrong, with the digital pulse/heat barometer starting to go off and taking a few days to calm back down. So… yep… my sensitive good doer now seems to be very, very sensitive. He’s tested clear for EMS, but is on herbal supplements as we (vet, podiatrist, my absolute legend of retired vet) all think there a hormonal/metabolic element involved (horse is a PRE Pbred).
Anyhow, he has been comfy, healthy and now back in work for a good month. But, like a lot we’ve also got a hay supply problem. Our farmer has run out of our hay (part of our livery all winter and can then buy through most of summer) until the this years is ready to feed in a month or so (its wrapped hay). Hay costs locally are all over place, but another local farmer will supply at a reasonable price and have been feeding his last year’s hay with no problem for a good few weeks. BUT that’s now run out and my only choice (without some real financial sacrifices) is his new hay. This is a month old now, not wrapped and (from a human perspective) absolutely lovely. As in, it’s fairly green, meadow grass I think, not corse and not dusty. Of course I was pretty worried that feeding this dry would be too nutrient rich and fast absorbing for him, and I don’t have any idea of the sugar content (this year I’d fear high)…. But thought keeping on soaking it for 12hrs as I do would reduce the impact a lot?
So, a few days since starting this, I was sure he was a hesitant/foot sore on the gravelly bit of track we have to cross daily , then this morning – strong pulses all round. As our field is overlooked by the farm houses I manfully resisted the urge to lay down in the field and cry. And the fact that its wet because its actually been raining here for a few days!
I’ve immediately cut the volume of soaked new hay, mixed it with 1 third feed straw and 1 third old hay donated by yard mate. Here’s my questions finally!
Any advice and thoughts welcomed! And thanks for reading, I think I needed a bit of a vent… every time we have a set back I get into a bit of a panic about how I’m going to manage to keep him healthy and happy. But am so thankful our farmer and yard mates are the best bunch of reasonable people, so I do have more options than many on livery.
Have a cuppa and a biscuit on me x
My 10yr gelding has always been grass sensitive, up until now successfully managed with track grazing and hay in the spring and summer, but this year’s weather brought a bout of mild laminitis that only resolved with a few weeks of box rest, soaked hay diet and then turn out in a bare patch, building that up by tiny increments to a small strip. When I got optimistic about his ability to cope with a little more grass (advancing the strip) I found out I was wrong, with the digital pulse/heat barometer starting to go off and taking a few days to calm back down. So… yep… my sensitive good doer now seems to be very, very sensitive. He’s tested clear for EMS, but is on herbal supplements as we (vet, podiatrist, my absolute legend of retired vet) all think there a hormonal/metabolic element involved (horse is a PRE Pbred).
Anyhow, he has been comfy, healthy and now back in work for a good month. But, like a lot we’ve also got a hay supply problem. Our farmer has run out of our hay (part of our livery all winter and can then buy through most of summer) until the this years is ready to feed in a month or so (its wrapped hay). Hay costs locally are all over place, but another local farmer will supply at a reasonable price and have been feeding his last year’s hay with no problem for a good few weeks. BUT that’s now run out and my only choice (without some real financial sacrifices) is his new hay. This is a month old now, not wrapped and (from a human perspective) absolutely lovely. As in, it’s fairly green, meadow grass I think, not corse and not dusty. Of course I was pretty worried that feeding this dry would be too nutrient rich and fast absorbing for him, and I don’t have any idea of the sugar content (this year I’d fear high)…. But thought keeping on soaking it for 12hrs as I do would reduce the impact a lot?
So, a few days since starting this, I was sure he was a hesitant/foot sore on the gravelly bit of track we have to cross daily , then this morning – strong pulses all round. As our field is overlooked by the farm houses I manfully resisted the urge to lay down in the field and cry. And the fact that its wet because its actually been raining here for a few days!
I’ve immediately cut the volume of soaked new hay, mixed it with 1 third feed straw and 1 third old hay donated by yard mate. Here’s my questions finally!
- It’s the hay right? Its has finally rained properly here after 6wks+ of nothing, but his strip is pretty bare, its literally a few tufts of grass. I last extended is (12ft square) 72hrs ago.
- Could it be swapping to quickly? We don’t have lots of storage of these big bales. So I was almost out of the old before the new arrived. I tried to hold some back and mixed a few nets of both but didn’t realises (face-palm-here) how different they would be.
- Is there anything I can do to make it safe to feed? I think for non-wrapped hay it is what it is, now? As in, if I leave it for a month, it won’t get any less rocket-fuel-y? Is mixing it with feed straw a safe call? He’s a bugger for picking it out but he does eat the straw, particularly when hungry!
- Any experience on horses getting crazy sensitive this year or just as they get older? Any chance it can recede at all? I have to keep him alone in the strip as there’s nothing else that is that needs that level of restriction, so he gets no physical contact though his mates are in the field the strip is in and hang about with him. Am just worried he’ll won't be able to go back out expect in proper winter… up until this year he’s always been able to cope with a night out every few days when the grass is stable.
Any advice and thoughts welcomed! And thanks for reading, I think I needed a bit of a vent… every time we have a set back I get into a bit of a panic about how I’m going to manage to keep him healthy and happy. But am so thankful our farmer and yard mates are the best bunch of reasonable people, so I do have more options than many on livery.
Have a cuppa and a biscuit on me x
