Would you take on a laminitic.....

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Honeypots

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I have been offered a fab 14.2hh pony for my daughter. However he has had several bouts of laminitis and seems particularly prone..
I do have the facilities to manage this (hopefully) and (with the help of my vets and you lot
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) the expertise...

So what would you do? Go for it or run a mile...
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If the pony is right for you, the right price and you know what you're letting yourself in for then might be worth a go. Bear in mind though what you'll do with it when your daughter grows out of it - might take you a while to find someone in a similar position.
 
Personally, having had one laminitic I really wouldn't want to take on another one!

I think you need to find more about the history of this pony's laminitis - have the owners just been a bit slack with management which is why he has got it again or again? Could he have Cushings?

I would be wary if the pony has been still having attacks whilst being properly managed and fed. Are you intending to buy or loan?
 
The pony would be handed over..on a permanenet loan type basis. She adores him and wants to know where he is but cannot cope anymore.
As for his laminitis?.. its appears to be be a management problem tbh. She has acres of lush grazing and likes to feed him!!!
She has tried sectioning him off but he'll pop over even the tallest electric fencing before she has even turned her back. Currently he is stabled 24/7 as its the only way she can ensure he doesn't escape..

I have a great little fatty paddock at home for my ponies which I think will suit him perfectly.
 
run a mile
its the cruelist disease going
my fantastic sec d had his first bout at age 17
and was pts a week later it was horrific.
 
I would take the pony on if it were for myself BUT if this was for my child I would be wary ....if the pony does, dispite your best efforts, come down with laminitis then your child has a sick pony and nothing to ride. Im quite happy with laminitics and sweetitch ponies but can a child cope?

That would put me off Im afraid.
 
Sounds more like poor management rather than a chronic condition, so if you have the facilities to cope then I'd say go for it.
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As he'd be a loan you wouldn't have any upfront cash to lose, and by the sounds of things he'd be better off with you than someone who will let him on lush grazing! Is your daughter old enough to understand laminitis and the possible implications?
 
It would depend how severe its previous bouts of lami were as if there has been a lot of pedal bone rotation it can obviously effect the job you would be having it to do. Seeing as you would be buying him and never looking to sell him on, and have good facilities for dealing with him i would definately consider it, how old is your daughter?? would she understand the pony having to have special treatment, as that would be my only other worry.
 
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I would take the pony on if it were for myself BUT if this was for my child I would be wary ....if the pony does, dispite your best efforts, come down with laminitis then your child has a sick pony and nothing to ride. Im quite happy with laminitics and sweetitch ponies but can a child cope?

That would put me off Im afraid.

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Daughter is very good about things like this tbh. She'll still have her current pony, and will understand the ins and outs of laminitis and the possible outcomes. She adores her animals but is very level headed and quite mature when it comes to these things.. (famous last words!!
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When we lost my mare suddenly at Christmas which she had just started riding and was due to take over, she coped brilliantly.
 
NO. Run a mile. There are many reasons for laminitis and they're not all fully understood. If it was just as simple as "don't let it get too fat, don't let it over-graze and don't feed it much" then yes, but its not. I've got an old pony that is that simple with, and its easily managed. I've also had one PTS in the past because management and treatment didn't work, I look after one with cushings and one with EMS. Its a bl**dy nightmare, and life's too short. If its not your problem yet then do yourself a favor, steer clear. You won't know if its manageable until you take it on and its so not worth taking the chance IMO.
 
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run a mile
its the cruelist disease going
my fantastic sec d had his first bout at age 17
and was pts a week later it was horrific.

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sorry for you too..
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NO. Run a mile. There are many reasons for laminitis and they're not all fully understood. If it was just as simple as "don't let it get too fat, don't let it over-graze and don't feed it much" then yes, but its not. I've got an old pony that is that simple with, and its easily managed. I've also had one PTS in the past because management and treatment didn't work, I look after one with cushings and one with EMS. Its a bl**dy nightmare, and life's too short. If its not your problem yet then do yourself a favor, steer clear. You won't know if its manageable until you take it on and its so not worth taking the chance IMO.

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Thanks or that KVS..
It'll be a loan but I do see your point. I must add that he'd be at home too so I could monitor him very closely..
 
Yes I would. I was given a Section D 16 years ago which had just recovered from laminitis and was nearly PTS due to it. He never had it again though did suffer with foot absesses for a few years due to the damaged laminae. He was PTS last October at the age of 24 (not to do with laminitis) and was brilliant for the whole time I had him. Still miss him now.....
 
Both my horses are prone to Laminitis and I can assure you it is a nightmare and very expensive to treat them.

Before you even consider it get your vet to x ray each of his feet to see if the pedal bone has dropped or rotated and vet the animal completly.

Laminitis is not only caused by grass it can be a symptom of a number of different things including emerging encysted Red Worms.
 
when looking for a pony for my daughter I found it was hard to find a small pony that hadnt had lami
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personally, unless the pony was one in a million, no I wouldnt. The cost of keeping a laminitic prone pony (ie vets bills, hay through the summer when they can't have grass) would outweigh the value of the pony, and in my eyes wouldnt be a viable option.
 
i wouldn't pay more then £800 for it unless it was a world-beater. immagine if he gets another bout, or it gets serious, how heartbroken your daughter would be!

i have a chronically lame horse (Ozzie, it's on and off and seems to be improving, but he can't jump or anything, really just a happy hacker) and i love him to pieces and will keep him forever, but i wouldn't get another. it is a LOT of worry, and lami is particularily nasty. are you planning to sell him on if she outgrows him or anything? might be difficult...

nope, i personally don't think it's worth the risk, but really depends on the pony.
 
Thanks for your opinions everyone..

Be assured I will think this through VERY carefully.
The owner has xrays and vets reports so will have a good look at those..
The cost is not an issue..
All mine are overweight prone natives and I treat them all as potential laminitics so am not worried about extra hay etc.
I have been told the problem is a weight/diet one but will defo speak to her vet about it.

Oscar..if he comes to me it will be for life. It will be a permanent type loan so he will always be able to be returned to the owner if all else fails. Daughter will be well aware of all the pro's and con's.
 
Honeypots, pony sounds great apart from the recurring laminitis...however, having lived through the nightmare of laminitis, I would say to anyone thinking about having one prone to it, please think VERY carefully about it.

I personally would never ever choose to buy a horse/pony with laminitis. Never. Sorry, you are potentially lumbering yourself with an awful lot of heartache and sadness....and that's even with a positive outcome. It's a dreadful condition to deal with and when you are experiencing your animal having it, you live "laminitis", you breathe "laminitis" and it becomes the biggest single thing in your life and will be on your mind always.

It sounds like you have made the decision to take the pony though, so I really hope it all works out well for you, but I would still strongly urge you to reconsider before the deal is done.
 
HI Tia...

No..I haven't decided yet. I haven't seen the xrays or the vet reports or discussed them in detail with the owner or vet or indeed even met the pony properly!!
I still have alot of thinking to do
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Anyway..where are those piccies?.. We haven't seen little Legacy for yonks or any of the other little foals you bought..how are they doing?
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From what you've written above, if the vet reports are OK, I personally would go for it. Your set up sounds ideal for him if it really is just incorrect management in the past. Personally I think most native ponies should be managed as if they are laminitics (even if there are no indications otherwise)

I took on our first loan pony just as he was recovering from laminitis - his was due to the owner moving to a farm where basically the pasture was too rich for him. We never looked back, he was exercised almost every day, fed a suitable diet and brought inside whenever his crest got big and hard and we all did fine. He had been retired the last 2 years and was pts in April, due to old age and decreptitude, not laminitis, but he was watched like a hawk for the signs of laminitis right to the end. However, I am aware that not all laminitis cases have such a happy ending.

Good luck. At the end of the day it's a loan, so I think it's worth a try.
 
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