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brockle
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
166 Posts |
 Posted - 30 Dec 2009 : 2:44:32 PM
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 We've had some ups and downs with Jack the cob, having thought he was about to be shod we ended up heading for the vet, xrays and thankfully on the recommendation of our farrier, a super remedial farrier. He has thin front soles but the pedal bones weren't too badly affected so he has the front of his toes off to help pressure as there was a gas shadow. Back feet seem to be ok. His frogs are supported with gel/silicone? side to side. That was several weeks ago and vet and farrier came to the barn and were pleased with progress. Farrier came to do the others and says his soles are already starting to curve a bit which is good and Remedial Gary comes on the 15th. Fingers crossed he will use imprint 'shoes' then. In himself Jack is mostly bright and even bangs the door with his short feet - surely this must be a good sign. Gary warned he might be in the barn till end of Feb maybe longer. We just take one day at a time and try to keep positive.
On the practical side presuming he was allowed to start back into life in the middle of Feb how have you started your horses off - amount of walking, grazing times, or even out to graze at all? Should I even imagine riding him again before end June/year, feel I'm tempting providence even getting eyes off the floor!
Information/advice/your experiences so gratefully received.
PS. I wish any diet I had been involved with had worked half as well -Jack is back to his 4 1/2yr old figure.
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Grey Girl
Platinum Member
England
1554 Posts |
Posted - 30 Dec 2009 : 3:56:28 PM
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When mine had a mild bout of laminitis a few years back the vet gave me a program of exercise etc, so perhaps your vet/farrier can do the same. I think I started with about two minutes walk in-hand (on soft surfaces), built up to 5 minutes, then built up an extra 5 minutes every couple of days. A little nibble on grass was allowed as we walked. This was mixed with a carefully timed turnout in a paddock that had little grass. When I was allowed to ride it was only in walk and again for short timed periods. It got a bit difficult after a while cos as she felt better she wanted to do more and one's ingenuity gets tested to come up with interesting things to do at walk that aren't a strain on the feet!
Best of luck. |
 Said the little eohippus, "I´m going to be a HORSE"  |
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mogwai
Platinum Member
England
2717 Posts |
Posted - 30 Dec 2009 : 3:56:53 PM
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I feel your pain! I have a welsh mountain pony who has never been overweight or allowed access to rich grazing or cereals. She had her first attack when she was 2! I thought i'd cracked it this year, and at the end of the summer she had another attack, this time much more severe. To cut a long story short, she seems to be very sensitive to toxins (wormers/ weed killer etc) and changes of environment. Every time anything changed, she was wormed or the idiot farmer decided to spray the field without telling me, she had an attack.
The last attack she was stabled for almost 8 weeks until her digital pulses were back to normal. I then started letting her out for very short periods in hand, then for an hour or so, and monitoring her extremely carefully. If her pulses were up, she'd be stabled for a further consecutive 24hrs. The best place to feel her pulses is just below the knee on the inside. The more common place is under the fetlock joint, but i've found that by the time they're raised there it's too late and the laminae are already inflammed and tearing away from the hoof wall. Hoof temperature fluctuates wildly, so is not a great gauge.
Feed wise, she is on Top spec anti lam, a handful of top spec chaff (it has no mollasses in it) unmollased sugar beet and ad lib hay (she actually gets underweight rather than over weight). She has access to restricted grazing on fair pasture, has a muzzle on during the day so she doesn't gorge (i've found the best friends muzzle the best) though not from december to march, and yarded at night with field shelter and hardcore yard. I monitor her pulses twice daily to see how she's doing. She gets as much exercise as i can give her (usually an hour 3 times a week carrying a small child!) However, she's still only 3 (rising 4 in 2010) so i don't want to over do it either.
We have just moved to our own land so she'll never have to move again, and i can control her grazing/ management/ fertilization/ chemical spraying!
They're all different, and what triggers one can leave another unscathed. It's about working out what their triggers are. If you're monitoring them twice daily, you get some idea of what's happening.
Speak to top spec, they're fabulous and made me feel much better and more positive about everything. Another person who is great to talk to is Roger hatch (trinity consultants) Sorry if i'm advertising, but he has been an absolutely lifesaver with both my sick ones this year. It was only when Mary (my WMP)started Rogers formula, that her pulses went right down and she was almost instantly happier. Roger is lovely and offers all sorts of advice. PM me if you'd like his number, or google trinity consultants.
With regards exercise and grazing, take the advice of you vet/farrier, but monitoring is the key. The sooner they can get moving the better, and progress slowly. He'll let you know if he's doing/done to much.
Best of luck
Ros
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moatside
Platinum Member
England
3224 Posts |
Posted - 30 Dec 2009 : 4:46:54 PM
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I have a Sec B who nearly lost her life to toxic poisoning resulting in an acute attack of lami. The key to keeping her sound is careful trimming and keeping her moving. Grass and or feed do not set her off. She is restricted grazing wise at peak times just to be safe and I never let her graze frosty grass.After the inital attack she was stabled for 4 weeks and walked out in hand and allowed a nibble of grass, she was brought back into work - gentle walking - after 3 months and built up gradually.
Good luck - and as Ros says he will let you know if he has done too much. |
www.spanglefish.com/kasanarhythmbeads/ |
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brockle
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
166 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2010 : 6:03:44 PM
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Thank you all for taking the time to write, we wormed today with fingers crossed but he seemed fine this evening just very busy with the weighed hay in the cold! We weren't able to get our usual big bale hay today and got 4 small bales instead (from the same supplier sick in bed). No comparison in the hay the small are top of the range so we have mixed last of the big with the new and are now trying not to worry about a 'wrong' reaction. If he is sore in the morning when we are beginning to feel there is an improvement... My neighbour has coped with her small pony for a few years but he had to be pts on Frid - I look at Jack and can't bear the thought this might happen to him.
We are oap's and my husband feels he is fit enough to start riding again, we can't miss this window so on Frid we are off to look at a smaller cob mare for me to ride, feel very traitorous. I'm hoping Jack will like a girl where a gelding might cause tension, but I admit to great trepidation as its been only Jack and I for so long. I was going to swim like mad, cure for creakiness, but horse work takes longer in the cold and can't face swimming pool and icy roads in the pm! |
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mogwai
Platinum Member
England
2717 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2010 : 06:51:19 AM
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I really feel for you, it's so tough. I look at Mary and wonder what the future holds. I'm lucky in that i have 2 eager children who are keen to ride, but they're at school/play school so even then it's weekends only during the winter. I hope to start leading her from another horse soon to get her moving in the week.
Just take each day as it comes, try not to worry about the future (easy to say i know!).
Best of luck
Ros |
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recovering laminitics
