Soaking hay for laminitics

S

superpony

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 October 2009
Messages
1,211
Location
Derbyshire
Visit site
My pony has been diagnosed with laminitis this week. Luckily we have caught it early so he has only got it slight. Hes on bute and rest for a week and in a little paddock with very little grass. As he has very very little grass (just a little to pick at) I have been feeding him hay.

So I was wondering how long do people generally soak hay for laminitics?
 
12 hours is the time it takes to get rid of the fructans. :) do bear in mind that it will remove everything else too bar the fibre, so feeding a broad spectrum vit and mineral supplement is a good idea.

Have you got somewhere your horse can go with no grass at all? stressed paddocks are not the best for lamis because whilst the quantity is lower, the amount of sugars is much more concentrated.
 
Thank you. :) And yes good idea will do that. :)

Oh damit didn't know that. Unfortunately theres nowhere else, most of the grazing is very very green and rich!
 
Ok, dont worry too much, as hopefully he'll be eating the hay more than the grass and its still better than nothing. :) hope he recovers soon.
 
Rinse the hay off too.
I agree with Naturally sparse grass can be dangerous, also you'd be surprised how much they are actually getting. Take all horses off it for a few days and you'll soon see how much growth there is.
Reducing grass intake is good though, and some like you have no other option. :)
 
Hi, Can you not box rest your pony for a week or turnout in the school for a few hours?

I used to soak for 24rs (changing the water every 12 hrs) you can feed something like Happy Hoof or Healthy Hooves. It's full of fiber, designed for laminitics and can be fed as a hay replacer. It has vits and mins in it which your horse will be loosing.

Your pony will need close monitoring and when able to be turned out fully again it would be best to turn out at night with a muzzle and in during the day with soaked hay (double netted)

He won't be able to go out on frosty mornings etc.

I can't advise strongly enough calling the Laminitis Trust (it's free) for advice and more info. I's also get your farrier involved ASAP as their experience and expertise is invaluable.

Sorry to go on, i know you only asked about the hay but i lost a horse to Laminitis even after 4 months of intense treatment so please keep a close eye on your pony.

I hope your pony is ok.
 
hudsonw said:
Hi, Can you not box rest your pony for a week or turnout in the school for a few hours?

I used to soak for 24rs (changing the water every 12 hrs) you can feed something like Happy Hoof or Healthy Hooves. It's full of fiber, designed for laminitics and can be fed as a hay replacer. It has vits and mins in it which your horse will be loosing.

Your pony will need close monitoring and when able to be turned out fully again it would be best to turn out at night with a muzzle and in during the day with soaked hay (double netted)

He won't be able to go out on frosty mornings etc.

I can't advise strongly enough calling the Laminitis Trust (it's free) for advice and more info. I's also get your farrier involved ASAP as their experience and expertise is invaluable.

Sorry to go on, i know you only asked about the hay but i lost a horse to Laminitis even after 4 months of intense treatment so please keep a close eye on your pony.

I hope your pony is ok.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about your horse. :(

Unfortunately every other horse on the yard is on 24/7 turnout so he won't settle in the stable on his own. :( And the vet thinks he should be ok in his little paddock (is really small).

Unfortunately not allowed to turn out in the school and people are riding in it alot of the day so he wouldn't be able to go out in it for any amount of time really.

Hes on Hi Fi Lite at the min but will be changing to Happy Hoof. And oo good idea will get in touch with the lami trust, my farrier is coming this week to him. :)

He also has EMS which makes everything more difficult and complicated! :(

Thank you very much for all your help. :D
 
hudsonw said:
Your pony will need close monitoring and when able to be turned out fully again it would be best to turn out at night with a muzzle and in during the day with soaked hay (double netted)

.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about whether it is best to turn them out at night this time of year, does it make a difference?
 
I use Hi Fi Good Doer as it only has 7DE/mj which is the lowest out of the 'laminitic range'. I have also posted notes from the Royal Vet College lecture I recently attended in the Vet section - long reading but good to get the latest knowledge that is out there.

With regards to soaking it is not only the length of time you soak for but also the volume of water used, recommended that you use double the volume of water to hay as the water soluble carbonhydrates leach out of the hay into the water the WSC levels will begin to get higher in the water until they level out and no more WSC will be leached. The majority is leached within the first 3 hours of soaking but no harm is doen by soaking longer, just remember that on hot days the water may start to ferment.

I soak overnight when the temperature is cooler in a wheelie bin... I weigh all the hay out in a net and then shake it up so there is more space between the strands, pop it into the bin with half a slab on top to keep it weighted down and then fill the bin up over half way. If you put a waterbutt tap about 2" from the floor you can turn the tap on when you arrive to drain the majority of the water out whilst you do all other duties around the yard - then tip the bin up and drag the net out, spray off and hang to drip dry for around 15 - 30 mins.

The worst time for fructans in grazing (on a warm sunny day) is from sunrise until after lunchtime... if overcast then the timings will be later. Turnout overnight with a muzzle if you can but aim to bring in as early as you can :) And don't be afraid to mow the paddock with a lawnmower to keep it short!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top