Highs and lows

[brigadier]

So today my new trainer was coming but as I picked Harriets hooves out realised she had a swollen leg. Hopefully just a slight sprain, but riding was out. such a pity as she seemed really keen. Rang A who said cancelling wasnt a problem (at 30 mins notice!) but said I would ride Basil and see how he went.
Well he was full of it and pretty full on to ride- not naughty exactly but strong and quirky. A spotted all my issues pretty quickly so we were able to do a productive 45 mins. Im sure Basil felt better for it too.

Im now back to cold hosing and freeze wraps for Harriet- think she may have tweaked it on the lunge yesterday or Frank may have been bullying her in the field (thank goodness I only walked when I rode her because if it was the lunge then it could have been more serious!)

[solomon]

Bloomin' horses! Proof that you always need at least two!

[fleabitten]

Ah thats annoying but at least you still got your lesson and great it was productive, trainer must be v good!

[brigadier]

Looks like it may be a touch of pre-lami- the other leg came up and she has a digital pulse but luckily she is still sound so just a warning. Im strip grazing at moment so not entirely sure how that's come about. Looks like my plans to put sheep on the big field are best all round as none of my horses need the grass!! At least I know its not a sprain but seriously- lami in August!

[fleabitten]

it makes you wonder what on earth even causes laminitis these days! it seems to be anything sets it off, have heard of so many different causes.

[brigadier]

I think we just feed them too much Flea, and everything commercial is sugar coated. Lami used to be a native pony thing in Spring, now it crosses all breeds and types. When I first started out you could get pony nuts but everything else was a straight feed, ie oats, peas, maize etc and only competition horses, breeding or race horses were on those, the rest was just grass and hay and some nuts if in work. Horses are now hyper sensitive and we have only ourselves to blame.

[spotti]

Unfortunately August (and any other autumnal month) is just as bad re: the risk of lami as in early spring . I'm sure we've all heard that the 'risk' from the grass varies from area to area and at different times of the year (and also throughout the day), and unfortunately some places are just more 'risky' than others.

Take our yard for example: gorgeous 36 acre winter field (split into 4 parts - each section getting opened up as the others get trashed and muddy...by Christmas the horses have access to all 36 acres but tend to stay in one part of the field as it's less muddy) and an even more gorgeous 42 acre summer field, which is also kind of split into 3/4 sections but there is no restrictions re: moving between them all (and so horses have access to all 42 acres from around early February until mid August).
I was told by my old vet that one of his clients lived near us and had had the ground tested for mineral levels etc at different times of the year. The results came back showing that the grass would be 'high risk' from around the end of February/early March time right up until the end of October/mid November...and this was regardless of the amount of land available (hence grass would have been high risk even in a tiny 20' x 20' paddock), and so any horse with lami-prone tendencies was advised by my vet to be on restricted access to the grass and also for owners to be extra vigilant between these times. The added issue of frost and/or silly rain patterns (rain, sun, rain, sun - argh!) just increases the risk, even in the relatively 'safe' months so I'm never completely off-duty - but don't get me started on that or we could be here all day!!!
When the vat dirst told me this I thought it seemed a bit extreme (8-9 months out of the year were deemed 'high risk' regardless of the weather) but over the years I have discovered - via my super sensitive pony - that he was indeed correct and that the only time I can really 'trust' the grass was when it was covered in knee-deep mud and/or 2ft of snow!!! Any other time I have to be really careful about what Faith eats re: grass (I'm always super careful about her sugar intake anyway...she's essentially treated like a horsey version of a type II diabetic and so EVERYTHING is monitored) since I've discovered that even as little as 10 minutes too much can make her go a bit pulsey... . Our current regime - which seems to be working as she's never been in work without a problem for this long before (coming up to a full year now!) - involves staying away from the grass in the field for the majority of the year and only really letting her be 'normal' when all she can pick at is a few strands in among knee-deep mud...and even then she's generally wearing her muzzle...I think we managed 2 weeks last year around Christmas where she went out with a naked face, but other than that she'll have her muzzle on OR not be out in the field. Seems quite extreme if you don't know just how sensitive Faith is, but as I've said above, this is the first year we've managed to be "in work" all year round and we've actually made such good progress with our riding that we're now able to focus on how we ride instead of just if we can :-). Since we don't have access to a grass-free paddock, Faith does spend quite a lot of time in her stable, but I make sure that she gets an hour or two turnout in the school (which has tufty old grass down one side for her to pick at) at each end of the day and she seems quite happy with this arrangement. We also ride A LOT more than we used to, and again, she seems much happier for it .

Annoyingly with issues like Lami, every decision always seems to be a Catch 22...there always seems to be a sacrifice in the short term in order to do better in the long run . It's frustrating, but all of the hard work is totally worth it when you can take your pony out for a bareback gallop and then stomp along some really sharp-looking stoney tracks without her batting an eyelid/having to worry about her feet .

Brig - I hope Harriet gets better soon and that you can find a way to prevent this from happening again. Fx for you both xxx

[spotti]

Yay for the lesson on Basil btw

[haffyfan]

That's rubbish about Harriet, poor girlie, but great about Basil.

Laminitis is an all year issue these days, My previous farrier specialised in remedial work and most of his referrals were laminitics, he said he got just as many in winter months as spring/Autumn.

[brigadier]

She is fine now and had no lameness, just puffy legs and a pulse. Im finding if she has stable and turnout she is fine but if its pure turnout she inevitably ends up pre-laminitic. Its a devil really as I look forward to a bit of a respite from mucking out during the summer but looks like I will have to keep them in!

Im still not sure about Basil though- he was quirky as ever, but did I enjoy riding him? I have to be honest and think I didnt and Im glad I can get on with Harriet- Im kind of wondering if Im at the end of my tether with him, it seems all effort but little reward, and when he does good it isnt maintainable. Jury is out!

[haffyfan]

Brig i feel your pain on that one, i'm just the same with Murph. I love him, he's going nowhere but i hate the unpredictability/inconsistency of how he'll be day to day.

I'm sure you'll work out a regime that works for Harriet in time, this has been a funny year with the grass, murph's first lami attack in 8 years and i did nothing different to previous lami free years but the mild winter and early spring of course were different.

[racaille]

Gosh it's all so complicated and I'm a novice at grass management. Glad she is better but what a pain not to be able to turn her out 24/7.

[brigadier]

Well she is a real wuss Rac and loves the half and half system, she hates rain plus the half in and out system suits her work plan now, she whickered at me this morning which is the first time for her- its only taken her a year to properly bond!

[haffyfan]

Aren't mares suppose to be very loyal if you 'bond' properly with them