Big Horse Questions:

[love_casper]

hello all.

i just got back from the barn where my big horse, a Quarab mare "Mesa" is boarded, and our ferrier was there doing her feet. he said she was starting to get laminitis in her front feet :new_shocked: .

to give you a little info, she is on a diet of 2 1/2 flakes of timothy, a bucket of soaked alfalfa cubes, and a small scoop(not sure how much, but its not a lot) of Kruse's Senior formula, which has beat pulp, grain, and molasses. she didnt used to get the alfala, but when she got thin everyone suggested we feed her the cubes, despite my protests that she'd get colic or laminitis. (ironic isnt it).

she has been barefoot for 11 years. she is 18 years old.

so back to today. when the ferrier pulled her out of her stall, he said she was limping and her feet were hot. he said we HAVE to put shoes on her front feet, or she would continue to have feet problems. there was not much else we could do, so on went the shoes for the first time ever since i've owned her.

he suggested it could be the alfala causing her to have an insulin resistance, or too much food causing her to be overweight. she has gained back her usual weight now and more, so we can easily cut the cubes.

i dont want to have to keep the shoes on her, as it is pricey, but mainly because i think since she has gone fine without them for 11 years, she doesn't need them once the laminitis is better.

so has anyone had experience with laminitis and/or insulin resistance? i'd like to know anything i can about both, dont even know where to look. do you think she HAS to keep them on for the rest of her life, or will she be okay.....? My Macy girl needs

: 's.

thank you in advance for any advice/info/support!

: she was my first horse, and is verrrrry special to me! :538:

oh and here's a pic of my baby:

 

[Soggy Bottom Ranch]

Don't have any information reguarding the help you are looking for, but just wanted to tell you that is a very nice photo of you and your baby! You can sure see the love

: !

 

[kaykay]

i really doubt the alfalfa is what is doing it. more likely its the grain and molasses. But for sure if shes overweight she doesnt need alfalfa or grain. Do you feel the heat in her hooves? Sending good thoughts for her to get better

 

[RAPfrosty]

Oh no! Sorry, I;m of no help either but just wanted to let you know I'm sending Mesa positive vibes

: ! Did you try doing a google search?

 

[Marty]

This is an emergency so treat it like one

he said we HAVE to put shoes on her front feet, or she would continue to have feet problems.

HUH?????????

1. Contact Liz, "Hosscrazy" to get you to her yahoo group regarding laminitis and proper feeding

2. Get the blasted shoes off this horse

3. Call your vet immediately and get him to stablize Mesa as best he can

4. A dose of probiotics is in order but check with your vet

5. Soak your horses feet now

Best wishes and keep in touch

 

[chandab]

The best I can do is tell you where to get initial help and they can help you further. There is a Yahoo Founder group and they are very helpful and good (at least they were for me). [i didn't post too many question, but read alot of the archives and files available. Worth joining the group.]

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/equine-founder/

If the link doesn't work, the group is called: equine-founder

My young mini mare foundered last spring, but between my vet, farrier and the Yahoo group we have brought her a long way towards recovery.

Here are a few more links you may find helpful:

http://www.horseshoes.com/hrshmpg.htm

http://www.safergrass.org/

http://www.naturalhorsetrim.com/

http://www.ironfreehorse.com/

http://www.barefoothorse.com/

http://www.hopeforsoundness.com/

http://www.equiworld.net/uk/horsecare/feed...ielaminitis.htm

Some of these links I've actually had the time to go and read, and some were suggested on laminitis board.

Hopefully, this will give you a place to start.

If you caught it early enough, you can bring her back to soundness and barefootedness, but it'll take time. Oh, and you may have a hard time convincing the farrier that she can go barefoot; it hard to break old habits.

 

[MagicTheMini]

Poor Mesa! Don't worry (well worry a little, but don't be frantic) she WILL be ok! I'm send you a PM. L

 

[love_casper]

thank you! thank you! thank you for the help guys! printing this off, love this forum.

 

[Hosscrazy]

Alex - I don't mean to scare you, but this is a red alert. You need to get a call into your vet immediately and let him know the situation. Let him decide if he needs to make an emergency visit.

I think I mentioned to you that I moderate the Yahoo IR website and yes, unfortunately I have a lot of experience in IR and laminitis. Remember I told you I lost my mare Misty last year? That was due to complications related to IR and laminitis (inflamation of the laminae) which resulted in founder (coffin bone rotation).

You need to call your vet and have him take x-rays of your horses' feet, and also draw blood to test for IR. It's a simple blood test, comparing the insulin to glucose ratio - BET Labs and Cornell can run the tests for you. If your vet does not have a lot of experience with IR, please ask him to call my vet - I can give you her phone number.

The reason you need x-rays taken is to see if there has been coffin bone rotation, which is very possible with laminitis. In the mean time (until you can get your vet out), you need to be soaking your horses' hooves in ice water, you also need to find his digital pulse and see if you can feel a pulse. If you can feel it, that is not good and really means you need to get your vet out immediately.

Everyone has a different opinion about the shoes - personally, I think they should be off. Imagine if you dropped a huge rock on your feet and they were swelling up; the last thing you would want would be to have a shoe on your foot.

You need to get her off the sugar. Immediately. Keep her on the timothy hay for now. The alfalfa can be iffy - some IR horses are sensitive to it, others are not. Get her off the Senior formula. That's what pushed my Misty over the edge. You can later add "safe" things to her diet; DaMoor's carries Mountain Sunrise Timothy Pellets, and Stephen's carries Triple Crown Safe Starch and also rice bran - both are safe for her. I think you still have my phone #'s - I'll PM them to you in case you don't have them. Let me know if you need me to come over and help you with anything - I'll be right there.

Liz

 

[Fred]

I am a farrier and # 1 if the horse has heat in the feet I DON'T PUT SHOES ON UNTIL THE VET SEES THE HORSE! The other thing is if it is laminitis most of the time the horse is left barefoot anyway. The other thing is did you see the horse limping? Has she been off? If it was my horse and a farrier put shoes on a horse like that I'd be pretty PO'D. I would definatly call the vet and get ahold off Liz with the cushing's group. Good luck.

 

[CharmedMinis]

I agree with everyone else.........call the vet and get the shoes off now!!! The shoes at this point will just make her more sore, especially since she isn't used to having them on.

Good luck, let us know how it goes

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Ditto- I have NEVER heard of shoeing a horse that has correctly balanced feet in order to "cure" laminitis.

Call a good Vet and get another Farrier- who the heck does he think he is??

Does he realise he could be in legal trouble for offering Veterinary advice and treatment without a licence???