Surfaces for laminitic ponies?

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weebarney

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I'm interested in starting a small livery business aimed at laminitic or potentially laminitic horses and ponies. I am really interested in the track grazing system and was wondering what sort of surface is best and does a pony suffering from laminitis require a different maybe softer surface until adequately recovered? I have emailed rockley a few days ago but I havent heard back and I'm impatient sort so so thought i'd ask on here.
 
Have a look at this website. http://www.barehoofcare.com/how.html
His name is Andrew Bowe, he is based over here in Australia. He is a registered Master Farrier as well as a barefoot trimmer. I have seen case studies of his where he has successfully rehabilitated horses whose Pedal Bones have been protruding the sole of their hoof!!

He uses paddock layout and a variety of terrains to aid in growing healthy hooves.

I attended a lecture he gave late last year and he really knows his stuff and is willing to impart his knowledge to aid in horse welfare :)
 
I can only answer from my limited experience of one pony with acute laminitis.

Initially had had a double sized stable with rubber matting throughout, and with a thick shavings bed at the back half. She had free access in and out of the stable to a rubber matted yard outside (Equimat washroom mats), and then had the option to walk on some relatively smooth concrete.

In the early days, she was very ouchy on anything other than the shavings, but she chose to walk onto the rubber matting as well, and I used to put her haynet wherever she was choosing to stand.

As time went on, she gradually became more comfortable on the smooth concrete too, but still wasn't walking right. At that stage I let her have access to a pea gravel area (which up til then she had been very ouchy on). That was part of her progression to more surfaces.

I used to boot hoof boots on her fronts and lead her down to the rubber surfaced arena, but even though I thought that was a nice soft surface, the rubber chips were too uncomfy for her without hoof boots on for quite a while.

The final challenge was the stoney track leading between yard and arena.

The only surface I don't have which I think could be useful at times is a wood chip surface which can give quite a nice soft surface.

When I started to reintroduce her to others in the herd, I had to be careful to only introduce a pony who wasn't going to move her round more than she was comfortable to move.

You might get more answers on the phoenix horse forum?

Sarah
 
thanks for the replys, laminitis is one of them ailments that i dont yet have an in depth knowledge of as ive never had to my knowledge a horse or pony suffering from it but i've learnt lots already. Rockley havent acknowledged my email which is a shame i would really liked to have visited at some point to see their tracks. I've got lots of ideas that i hope will really offer a totally different kind of livery service to what people are used to round here, just need to get started building it!
 
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