What can I feed my mare who is prone to laminitis?

[jadelovescassie]

My 14 year old mare has had laminitis twice before, once in her previous home and once with me. I hope to be doing quite a lot more with her, lots of jumping and fast work where she will require more energy in her diet. At the moment she is fed just a scoop of happy hoof in the evening (plus carrots/apples). I obviously want something low calorie but high energy, but I am unsure of what I can feed her. HELP?! Thank you!

 

[TGM]

Unfortunately you cannot have low calorie AND high energy! Calories are 'energy'! If your pony is laminitic but needs more energy for work, then you need to make sure the energy (calories) comes from fibre and oil, rather than starch/sugar (ie cereals, molasses etc). Unmolassed beet is a useful feed as it is high in calories (having about 12 MJDE/kg) but negligible starch and low sugar levels and you could feed this alongside the Happy Hoof if you like. But remember that you feed for work done, not the work you anticipate doing, so don't start to feed more until she is actually working hard. Even then, do ensure she really does need more feed because you don't want her getting fat.

 

[bensababy]

If i was you i would cut out the carrots and apples. Contact a few feed companies, i feed mine Simple System feed (feel like i promote this company) worked wonders for my Cushings/Laminitis sufferer.

 

[Chestnutmare]

I'd also recommend cutting out carrots and apples high in sugars and perhaps ring a feed company to offer some advice.

I used to use HH too or high fibre chaff and low cal nuts and in winter speedibeet soaked hay only!
My lad was a heifer in summer but found that the diet I had him on worked well plus he wore a muzzle when he kept it on
I used to also potter him about the lanes in evenings in summer after work and in winter I made sure he was lunged a few times a week and ride inbetween those sessions nothing strenuous but just enough

 

[Lotty]

My mare is prone to laminitis and she's not allowed any more carrots and apples, they do contain alot of sugar. I feed her 1.5% of her bodyweight, she has Happy Hoof morning and night, weighed and soaked hay and in the winter months a small amount of speedi-beet. She gets turned out in a muzzle for 5 hours, although the grass is so short at the moment she has been muzzle free for 2weeks.

 

[bensababy]

My mare is prone to laminitis and she's not allowed any more carrots and apples, they do contain alot of sugar. I feed her 1.5% of her bodyweight, she has Happy Hoof morning and night, weighed and soaked hay and in the winter months a small amount of speedi-beet. She gets turned out in a muzzle for 5 hours, although the grass is so short at the moment she has been muzzle free for 2weeks.

sorry to butt in - please dont be deceived by short grass - the frosty mornings are lethal - because its short it doesnt mean it is less harmful - i would be a bit more careful. Sorry if i sound patronising.

 

[ffionbj]

When my pony had laminitis I used to feed him JKs herbs which were available locally (denbighshire). Pebbles does't suffer from laminitis now - he's been free of it for the past three years. Got the number for JKs yesterday:- 07547548141. No other lami supplement helped, and I tried most of them!!!

 

[Lotty]

sorry to butt in - please dont be deceived by short grass - the frosty mornings are lethal - because its short it doesnt mean it is less harmful - i would be a bit more careful. Sorry if i sound patronising.

Hi there, I don't turn her out on the frosty grass She has her scoop of Happy Hoof and some of her soaked hay then when the frost has lifted she is turned out for 2 hours.

 

[jadelovescassie]

Thanks for all your advice I have decided to go with contacting Dengie for some feed advice as some of their feeds and supplements looked quite promising so just waiting to hear back from them now!