recovery from laminitis?

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Sugar_and_Spice

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Do ponies ever fully recover from laminitis or do they only recover enough to be a light hack?

How long does recovery take, assuming there are no underlying metabolic reasons for the episode?

Is it a myth that the pony is more likely to get laminitis again, having had it once?
 
Your horse covered an article on lami this month with 4 different case studies.. We're just about to have on loan one of the ponies from the article... Her owner has looked after her very carefully since the laminitis and monitors her food intake and weight carefully... But this has allowed the pony a good recovery and a very good life... The pony still pony clubs, jumps, hacks etc :)
 
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I think that horses can recover from a laminitic episode that is caused by something simple such as grain overload or going out on lush Spring grass and gorging. However, most laminitis has an underlying metabolic problem such as Cushings and EMS. Both of these are very difficult to control if they cause laminitis. My late mare suffered from low grade laminitis on several occasions. In her last year, I never got her back sound enough for long enough to start riding her again. This was despite her being very light (condition score 2.5) and her diet being perfect for a laminitic. Sometimes they just get more and more sensitive even to very low sugar forage and you are fighting a losing battle.

However, to answer your question, no, it does not always mean they will never fully recover. Many do recover to full athletic soundness. But it's a horrible disease, and a bit of a lottery as to whether your horse will be one of the lucky ones. It also takes a lot of hard work and dedication to keep them sound. Sometimes despite your best efforts and never getting anything wrong in their management, the disease still wins over.

I think that if a horse needs more than a few weeks box rest, and recovery is slow or non existent, then sadly, the battle probably isn't worth fighting for the welfare of the horse. Personally, I dcided that if my mare was to face long box rest then I would PTS. Sadly, her undoing was repeating an old shoulder injury in the field, just as she had come sound from her latest bout of laminitis and I chose to PTS rather than put her on box rest on such a restricted diet. It broke my heart.
 
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Wagtail, that's very sad about your mare. On a brighter note OP, 2 of my ponies have had it. First before we bought her had toxic laminitis after foaling, she has never had a problem since with no particular diet issues but try not to let her get fat. Little Shettie I thought was in foal and overfed and underworked her leading to severe lami with pedal bone rotation. That was June, she did her 1st driving trial of the season 3 weeks ago and is positively bouncing, though she is still being shod with putty and frog supports. As Wagtail says though, both these are "simple", there is no underlying EMS or Cushings.
 
Thanks. Is it likely a 3yo has a metabolic problem? I thought it was mostly older horses or teenage horses. Animal in question is not fat, not worked and fed a little of the "bad" feeds.
 
I would think unlikely but only a blood test could confirm. If your pony isn't working, does it need any feed other than hay?
 
I would be very concerned a 3 yr old has laminitis, and even with the on-going and constant updating of knowledge in regards to the disease and it's triggers etc. I would've thought the chances of on-going issues caused by having lami so young were too high.
 
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