Swollen grass glands

[Kelly11]

Hi all

I just wanted som people’s opinions on the dreaded grass glands , my horse has got them really bad the last few weeks and his cheeks and glands are swolllen , this especially happens if I’m late bringing him in , he gets turned out at 7.30am and I now try to bring him in at 11,12 and at these times they are up but not as bad as if I left him out longer , it’s driving me insane , he’s had steroid shots this week because they Were pretty bad and he’s on 14 antihistamines x2 a day but they seem to do nothing , the vet said she can put him on steroid tablets but I don’t want that rap because of laminitis, I feel like I can’t even school him or ride him because he will be uncomfortable but I literally feel like I have a retirement horse and he’s only 4 and I’ve only just backed him late last year , I feel like I’m the only one with this issue , I just wanted to see what everyone else does wit their horses thanks

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I have never really known them to cause massive discomfort in my horses, they often swell up but they they seem fine in themselves and I continue to ride as normal.

 

[milliepops]

One of mine gets huge grass glands, they are only out in the mornings at the moment so by the evening when I want to ride they've usually gone down.
i think it's worse when the grass is really short so they are working hard to get a small amount, i usually find that as they grass gets better and they move to longer periods of turnout it's less of a problem.

 

[be positive]

As he is 4 it is likely the swelling is being caused by his teeth coming through having a bearing on how he is chewing, I have found grass glands worse when the weather is cold and windy and or there is not a lot of grass meaning they spend more time than normal with their heads down trying to find something to eat, maybe giving him a net to munch at when out would help, I find they often just stop being an issue and have never medicated anything that got them, it might be worth getting his teeth looked at just in case something is going on in his mouth.

 

[Kelly11]

Thanks guys , the livery owner won’t let me put out any hay for him unfortunately so I’m thinking of moving to a better accommodated livery yard , his teeth have not long been done but I have the vet coming out to check his mouth next week just incase but he had the same issue last year and it lasted all summer , there is hardly any grass out in the fields but there is small shoots growing through which he is obviously allergic too , his glands take hours and hours a to go down more so over night they do , the next morning there not so bad , but as soon as he goes out there straight back up again , I will have to see how it goes but it’s a nightmare I feel so sorry for him esp having to come in early now it’s getting nicer but I can’t have him out to long because they do get really bad , thanks for the advice