Managing recovering lami with coronavirus

[TheOtherSideOfTheMountain]

It's all over the news that after this lovely weather this weekend outdoor exercise is likely to be banned in uk.

How do you make that work if you have a recovering laminitic? I'm really worried.

Obviously can't turn out 24/7. Already grass muzzled (lami was last year not this year but don't want it back). And boxrest with no form of walking in hand or groundwork or lunging etc is likely to result in a very fat pony who is even more susceptible to getting it again this year.

What the heck to do??

I think try not to panic. At the moment it is only a threat of further restrictions not a definite, and the government's issue mainly seems to be with groups of people using public spaces for purposes other than exercise (sunbathing etc). So it could be that parks are closed or people are not allowed to exercise on roads/paths, but that wouldn't stop you going to the yard to care for your horse which is already deemed as essential (if you are the sole carer or livery yard has implemented a care rota). How are you currently exercising your pony? If you can lunge, ground school or walk in hand around the yard/fields, all without leaving private property, then even if more stringent regulations come in I think you would be absolutely fine. Hacking out on roads/bridle paths may be out but I think that is sensible to avoid anyway given the risk of accident...

Currently using outdoor arena on our DIY yard - not on public roads. Just worried that whilst feeding would still be essential, surely a lunge in the arena would be hard to justify? And they can't consider everyone on a case by case basis, but trying to explain laminitis to a random policeman would be pretty impossible!

I’d very much class it as a welfare issue OP. Your not doing it for your exercise (which may end up being banned, it’s his exercise which is a welfare need).

I have a cob prone to portliness (well actually obesity!) and he’d be a walking time bomb for laminitis if not exercised at all in spring. Had this happened over the winter I’d have no issue turning him away for several weeks but no way at this time of year.

We’re a small DIY yard, so we’ve got a rota going so only one person/household at a time to try and lessen any risk.

Well I guess we are all in a position of needing to decide what is essential exercise (to prevent lami etc), it's not going to be possible to cover every situation in formal guidance. So I suppose unless BHS changes their position (which is only advisory anyway) we are all just relying on our own judgement and discretion. Racehorses etc are still being ridden out on the gallops but obviously that is very different to an average family pony. If you head over to the livery chat some people on there are still riding, cautiously, while others are not going up to yard at all. For me I would say you def should lunge the pony if handwalking and loose schooling isn't doing enough to keep him trim, I don't see that as a huge risk. Someone else might feel differently I suppose. These judgements are hard.

But in practical terms I think it's unlikely you'll be asked to explain yourself to a police officer. The police won't have the resources to patrol every single street/footpath/bridleway as it is, without policing what happens on private land as well, and I'm not sure the law would actually allow them to do so in any case...

DD’s still riding although not jumping at the moment and only two horses are allowed in the school at the same time. Her horse is extremely well-behaved and sensible but he’s also extremely fit after weeks of getting him ready for the competition season which obviously isn’t happening now. Our decision is that it’s actually safer for her to ride him steadily a few times a week rather than have him full of energy and posing a risk on the ground.

For people thinking that lunging is safer, very sadly a horse on our yard died after an accident lunging a few days ago - the horse got very stressed while being lunged in a Pessoa, reared up, got tangled in the ropes and fell so badly she had to be PTS. Luckily no one else was hurt but they could very easily have been. And if people are lunging, please wear a hat and gloves - I hardly ever see anyone with them but things can go wrong very quickly and a lot of horses find lunging quite stressful especially if they’re out of their normal routine.

Really good point Pleasedon'tdothat, and why it's important we use our own judgement (or ask someone experienced and trustworthy for help if you aren't sure) about what is necessary/sensible in our individual situations. It's a reasonable generalisation that lunging or ground work is safer than riding in most cases, but absolutely not true if you don't know how to do it safely, aren't taking the proper precautions or your horse behaves like a hooligan on the lunge! The safest thing of all of course is to turn horse out 24/7 and handle minimally (although even that isn't risk free, we had a horrible accident on the yard a few years ago where someone got badly kicked whilst checking her horse in the field, nothing is 100% safe where horses are concerned). But obviously if that isn't possible or suitable for whatever reason people are going to have to find a safe way to give their horses some exercise so it is a balancing act...

My vet has written a letter explaining that mine needs to be exercised due to a medical condition (lami risk) making it a 'critical welfare concern' . I keep to our fields & private land as there are lots of nosey parker's in our village.

Thank you all for some really helpful thoughts. @Serenbunny that's a good idea, I may have a word with my vet too