Stupid question time

Shavings

Shavings

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ok ok i'm sorry but i have to ask as google isnt giving me and answer

so you know the pocket above the horses eye which often rises and falls as they chew

some one said to be in passing today that if it doesn't rise and fall well it means the horse has laminitis ?! really this isn't true?

my told TB had rather keep pockets and they rose and fell well

however chance cobs although do rise and fall are not as deep i am a little OCD about him as he is carrying more weight then i would like but due to causing damage to his hoof he cant work at the moment (pulling shoes off) so he is in though the day

his neck has good "wobble to the crest area" which again i am told if shift would be a sign of laminitis , i am trying very hard to prevent rather then have to treat but in all honestly i am not 100% sure what i am looking for or if i am doing the right thing as i get A LOT! of conflicting advice
 
I believe they’re called orbits. Sub ?? Orbits. When they are swollen yes it is an indicator/warning that they could have a laminitis attack.

My guy had swollen orbits in November and came down with laminitis. They’ve only just disappeared and you can feel the hollows now that he’s sound again and lost a bit of weight. He is insulin resistant. So yes I see them as a big warning.
 
I believe they're called supra-orbital hollows. Yes, if they are filled in it is a sign of a metabolic issue problem (e.g. Cushing, EMS etc which is not under control), so means the horse is much more likely to get laminitis.

I see this on my cob if he has had too much sugar, along with a swollen sheath, just before he goes footy (he's barefoot and never had laminitis or been diagnosed with any metabolic issue but is a massively good doer). Its a good warning sign to look out for.

ETA: Found some piccies of a horse with / without filled hollows: http://www.thelaminitissite.org/articles/equine-metabolic-syndrome-and-insulin-dysregulation
 
Not true...they are occipital something or others. My old mare develops alarming swellings at the beginning of each grass eating season..like watching a balloon being blown up. But only lasts a short time and things return to normal. (I did get the vets input the first time I saw the phenomena).
 
My mares orbits lookedike she was growing horns a couple of weeks ago. Her eyes were also runny. They gave gone back to normal now with the help of antihistamines and a flymask.
 
Swollen hollows can be linked with laminitis. If your horse is overweight and can't be exercised for whatever reason, I suggest replacing some of his hay with plain oat straw chaff, so that he has something to nibble on without adding to his weight problems.
 
There is a link with metabolic issues (which can then cause laminitis). Are they just not particularly hollow or do they look fatty/puffy? I've only ever seen filled/puffy ones on horses with PPID or IR but there may well be exceptions to that.
 
It’s the classic Cushing indicator in horses , in ponies the first thing is usually coat changes .
 
Also, the hollows become deeper the older the horse. In young horses they can be quite filled in naturally. You'll probably see some movement in any horse that's chewing, it's just more noticeable if the hollows are more pronounced.
I think I'd only be concerned if they changed and became filled when they weren't before, together with other risk factors for EMS (too much weight, cresty neck, pronounced fat pads).
 
Argh! My pony has filled supraorbital hollows - more obvious on the left side and when he is chewing. I don't know why but because he's also started to not want to accept a bridle so I've booked the EDT to look at him (he has an overbite). He is a connemara and I'm paranoid about laminitis so he is managed accordingly. He is currently putting on weight but no crest or digital pulse. He is exercised 5 or 6 days a week.
 
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