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Original poster

Does this laminitis look under control to you?

27 replies

overitunderit · 16/04/2023 16:20

My pony is on loan to me to get back into regular work to get her weight down as she has a history of laminitis. She is on soaked hay and no hard feed but has decent turn out on new grass the whole day. I haven't managed laminitis before so I'm not sure if these feet look convincingly under control or if there's anything else I should be looking out for.

Does this laminitis look under control to you?
OP posts:
JaffavsCookie · 16/04/2023 16:29

How is she walking?, standing? How cresty is she?

Original poster
overitunderit · 16/04/2023 17:28

She's walking and standing fine. I would say she's maybe 2-3 on the scale for crestiness.

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JaffavsCookie · 16/04/2023 17:38

The walking and standing fine is good, any digital pulses? Do her soles look ok
🤞

Mollyplop999 · 16/04/2023 18:03

She should not be on ANY grass whatsoever. It is at maximum growth now and is full of sugar. I'm suprised that the vet ir farrier has not said this.

Original poster
overitunderit · 16/04/2023 18:26

Mollyplop999 · 16/04/2023 18:03

She should not be on ANY grass whatsoever. It is at maximum growth now and is full of sugar. I'm suprised that the vet ir farrier has not said this.

This was my thinking too. She's not my pony though and she's only on part loan to me so I'm really not sure how to broach it?!!

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Original poster
overitunderit · 16/04/2023 18:28

JaffavsCookie · 16/04/2023 17:38

The walking and standing fine is good, any digital pulses? Do her soles look ok
🤞

I don't know I haven't checked...I'll check when I next see her. But as I said before I'm really not sure how I can raise it with the owners as she's not my pony and they think they are doing what they need to.

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Original poster
overitunderit · 16/04/2023 18:34

Do you think I could say something like "I'm worried me riding her isn't taking the weight off her quickly enough...do you think we should be restricting her grass intake too?"

I don't see the owner as we don't overlap days so it would have to be over text!

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orangeflags · 16/04/2023 19:25

Grass is the most important thing of all at the moment. Heat plus rain is a total killer for laminitis. I've got one with it and I have to take him right off if it flares up. He's on very restricted grazing when he's out. His feet are checked twice a day

Original poster
overitunderit · 16/04/2023 19:31

It's actually really stressful...she's not my horse but I've grown to love her so I care about her welfare but as she's not mine I can't make any decisions about her care and I have been told her laminitis is being managed. The one thing she really seems to need is restricted grazing but her owner doesn't seem to agree/want to do that as she's out all day 😭

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orangeflags · 16/04/2023 19:34

What kind of grass is she out on? Mine is strip grazed on very poor grass,more mud than grass with hay fed.

Original poster
overitunderit · 16/04/2023 19:54

orangeflags · 16/04/2023 19:34

What kind of grass is she out on? Mine is strip grazed on very poor grass,more mud than grass with hay fed.

The grass is good 🤦‍♀️😭. Theyve recently been moved to it so it's fresh.

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BaroldBalonz · 16/04/2023 20:51

I'd get it off the grass asap. We have a pony that got lami once (we were on holiday 😥) so right now he's in a small pen, almost bare but grows a little to give him something to do. He is allowed to graze for a couple of hours each day.

Original poster
overitunderit · 16/04/2023 20:53

BaroldBalonz · 16/04/2023 20:51

I'd get it off the grass asap. We have a pony that got lami once (we were on holiday 😥) so right now he's in a small pen, almost bare but grows a little to give him something to do. He is allowed to graze for a couple of hours each day.

I wish I could do that but I can't as she's not mine and I really don't know how to broach it with the owner who obviously thinks they've got the laminitis under control. Any ideas of how I can raise it?

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nancypineapple · 16/04/2023 23:44

Our pony had lami 3 weeks after we bought her-it was apparently her first time getting it. She was overweight and living out and the spring grass was too much for her. She ended up on box rest for 5 months eating 6kg soaked hay per day and was in a lot of pain. My farrier was just amazing and luckily there was no rotation. This year she's back on soaked hay and extremely limited grazing with a muzzle. We've moved her to a yard with rubbish winter grazing and she is stabled at night. I would buy a grazing muzzle and tell the owners that you are popping the pony out with it on. A field safe headcollar over the top as they often get them off. Or is there a starvation paddock you can pop her out in? Check her hooves for heat every morning-any sign of footiness bring her in for a rest off the grass.

Mollyplop999 · 17/04/2023 05:17

It's a difficult one for you but the pony will end up having laminitis again if lsomething isn't done soon. One of mine can't have access to grazing which makes life difficult but I've no option if I want to keep him alive and sound. Unfortunately it's not just about exercise, although that does help enormously. It's far more complicated than that.

Original poster
overitunderit · 17/04/2023 06:00

I've sent them a message. I feel awkward having to do it but I really care about the pony now she's such a darling and I would really hate for her to suffer in any way.

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EverestMilton · 19/04/2023 14:32

Grazing muzzle?? I have my porker in during day and out at night with a muzzle. The Shires one is quite good it has nice fleece lining. Buy a size bigger than bridle to be comfortable. They do get a bit sore whilst they wear in but better than laminitis...... Ideally they should only be on for 12 hrs but I have heard vets say they can be used 24 hrs if only management option.

OrlandointheWilderness · 19/04/2023 15:18

Pony needs to be off the grass. Yes definitely to muzzles, they are pretty harsh but I lost a 5 year old to laminitis and EMS and harsh is obviously better than dead.

It is so hard when it isn't your horse and management differs. Just do as much exercise as possible - get the pony seriously, hunting fit. Good rule of thumb is walk first and last mile and don't walk apart from that. Obviously until the horse is fit you need to build her up but it needs doing properly, not ambling around the lanes. 3 weeks solid walking at a good pace for an hour building to two. Then incorporate Trot work then fast work as fitness builds.

Original poster
overitunderit · 19/04/2023 17:12

I don't want to say too
Much as it might be outing and I really don't want to jeopardise my relationship with either the pony or the owner but I did raise it and I was told that muzzles don't work for her as she is an escape artist and can get out of them and destroy them (I can actually well believe this as she is clever and cheeky- she can open gates and untie herself for example) and they seem relaxed about how much access to grass she gets and will get with a plan to turn out overnight soon.

I can try and work her as much as I can but I'm not able to ride every day and riding has to be sandwiched between my job and children so I'm not able to dedicate hours a day to it unfortunately.

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liveforsummer · 19/04/2023 17:23

There is no way to know about any new laminitis brewing by looking at the hooves. I'd be hugely concerned about the grazing though - even out over night when sugar is lower that's not enough on a fresh field with lots of grass. I don't know what you can do though as a sharer

AlltheFs · 19/04/2023 17:35

Did they bother testing for EMS/Cushings? The reason for the laminitis matters to the future management - my EMS pony is managed differently to the Cushings one in the stable next door.

Mine at the moment has 6-7hrs muzzled turnout on a paddock with some grass but not loads (another horse goes on it overnight to keep it down), weighed soaked hay with a supplemented diet.

No hard feed isn’t necessarily a good thing-they actually do better with a low calorie balancer, magnesium and salt in conjunction with soaked hay and restricted grass.

Original poster
overitunderit · 19/04/2023 17:50

I agree with everything you're all saying but I really don't know what else I can do other than hope and pray for the best! She's not mine and I've raised it with the owner but there's not much more I can do I don't think... 😭😭😭😭

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liveforsummer · 19/04/2023 18:30

@AlltheFs I agree with the balancer - my young pony isn't laminitic but I'm super cautious having lost one to it in the past. I feed blue chip anti lam along with a handful of hifi light. It has so many supporting vitamins and minerals for good health. Atm I'm bringing him in off our sparse grass that's been grazed all winter for several hours a day in the afternoon when sugar is the highest just as a precaution. I'm actually Aghast that this pony is out on lush grass like this. I feel for you being unable to take control

OrlandointheWilderness · 19/04/2023 18:42

Careful with balancers - some are derived from barley malt and can have a slightly energising effect 😂

Original poster
overitunderit · 19/04/2023 21:31

liveforsummer · 19/04/2023 18:30

@AlltheFs I agree with the balancer - my young pony isn't laminitic but I'm super cautious having lost one to it in the past. I feed blue chip anti lam along with a handful of hifi light. It has so many supporting vitamins and minerals for good health. Atm I'm bringing him in off our sparse grass that's been grazed all winter for several hours a day in the afternoon when sugar is the highest just as a precaution. I'm actually Aghast that this pony is out on lush grass like this. I feel for you being unable to take control

I know.

It's really hard for me. Her owner is absolutely lovely but I think some horsey people can feel that experience means they have all the knowledge they need perhaps...or perhaps they think they have managed it so far so they will continue to manage it in the way they have always known.

Pony is also really quite overweight 😔. It's losing some with riding more but I would like it managed very differently. I'm sort of hoping the farrier will say something next time they are here which may spur them on.

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