Turnout Advice for Cushings

[Lyndz]

Hi Guys,
Its been a while since i've been on here!
In the meantime i've had my mare diagnosed with Cushings and would like some more thoughts on turn out for her over the summer.
Generally we have 24 hrs turnout over summer, she is currently a good weight, and laminitis free, she can be stressy if in a paddock on her own or in stables when the rest are out, stress will only make her worse, so ideas please?

Thanks

 

[0ldmare]

Well my cushings mare has had 24/7 turnout since March 2011 and I don't intend changing that now

But I think it all depends on your grazing, if its rich then you will have to limit her somehow whether by fencing off a small area, muzzle or whatever.

 

[goldypops]

With my mare it is a constant change depending upon how she is doing. Last year she came down with laminitis in january and tested positive for cushings. She was box rested for a few weeks and then turnout in a small woodchip area. I think I finally got her out 24/7 onto a grass track system with the others about may.
This year she has had low grade laminitis so its threatening and pulses. She was in at night and on the track for a hour or so and the rest of the time in the woodchip area with hay. This week though I am trying her out at night on the track, in the woodchip area for most of the day. Basically in a round about way what I am saying what I find you need to do is monitor your horse daily and adjust what you do around that until you find the right balance be it in/out or with muzzle.

 

[Kellys Heroes]

Our girl goes out for 2 hours per day max, muzzled. We're so worried about another lami flare up and our grass is quite plentiful!
Plus, she's a very people-orientated horse and just needs her human company lol she is no different whether she has turn out or not.
As the others have said, just monitor her on how she is
K x

 

[Eaglestone]

With my mare it is a constant change depending upon how she is doing. Last year she came down with laminitis in january and tested positive for cushings. She was box rested for a few weeks and then turnout in a small woodchip area. I think I finally got her out 24/7 onto a grass track system with the others about may.
This year she has had low grade laminitis so its threatening and pulses. She was in at night and on the track for a hour or so and the rest of the time in the woodchip area with hay. This week though I am trying her out at night on the track, in the woodchip area for most of the day. Basically in a round about way what I am saying what I find you need to do is monitor your horse daily and adjust what you do around that until you find the right balance be it in/out or with muzzle.

I manage my Cushings horse in this way and it has worked now for 7 years now

 

[Lyndz]

Thanks guys. Will see how things progress....right then, off to find a way to secure her muzzle!

 

[Montyforever]

My mares currently being tested for cushings and had lami last year. She's the same as yours won't stay in alone and stresses
Luckily I've got two so she's in for most of the time at the mo with my other mare to keep her company but she's got a slipping stifle so she needs to be moving!
She has a pen in the field which I'm sorting out to put woodchip down so eventually she will be out most of the day in there with my other mare in the field next door took me ages to get her settled even with my mare next door but we got there eventually!

 

[Wagtail]

I'm in a similar situation. My mare's field mate is a TB that needs additional feeding when out 24/7. Our grazing is not great in their particular paddock so I need to feed haylage most of the summer especially if it's dry. She would be fine out on the paddock 24/7 without supplementary feeding, once the spring grass goes off, but I need to put haylage in for my gelding. Luckily, he is the boss and quite a greedy horse so I plan to put one big pile in and one tiny pile. Hopefully this will mean that she doesn't get too much! At the moment though the grass is rich and so they are both out for only 4 hours at a time on the paddock and the rest of the time they are in the sand turnout with hay. They currently come in at night. She has been fine with this arrangement.

 

[amandap]

It will depend on her as an individual. She may be fine out 24/7 or she may not. Keep an eye on her for stiffness or digital pulses. Stress doesn't help either so bear that in mind with whatever management you decide to go with. Hopefully she will cope with your grass.

 

[The_snoopster]

My shettie has had cushings for just over 3 years he lives out 24/7 in a fenced off paddock, he still has company next door. He has gone from strengh to strengh since his diagnosis. I was very lucky I noticed he looked footie one day so bought his off the grass and rang vet, I suspected cushings as the other signs were creeping in. He was sound the next day but has never been out in the big field with the others since, touch wood no footyness since.
Its really a pick and mix really with cushings some can tolerate more grass than others, but I have always treated him as if he may get lami at anytime and thats worked for me.

 

[Lyndz]

I'm going to try a muzzle to start with, see if i can keep it on her for longer than an hour,by way of a strap to her heacollar noseband, failing that it will be an electric fence job and possible in at night, just going to see how we progress. How long can they have Cushings before things start getting too bad? and is it just the Lami that get worse or are there other things that happen. I don't want my mare suffering.