I've never posted on here, but your Dusty sounds just like my Dancer started out. She HAS been diagnosed as IR, but my vet was very resistant to admitting it until I insisted she be tested. If you check out the Yahoo website for IR/Cushings horses, there is soooo much useful info on there on how to help your mini. The site is moderated by a vet as well as volunteers, so you can see what other people are dealing with. It has been invaluable to me in my efforts to get my mini back to optimum health. Good luck!
Dusty
- Thread starter Marsha Cassada
- Start date
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Dusty seems back to normal. He is galloping and frisking now. I was thinking he may have to lay off driving for several months but after watching his antics I am wondering if he can go back to work pretty soon?
Should I will wait until after his next trim and see what the trimmer suggests?
What is your experience with a horse going back to work after a laminitis attack?
Should I will wait until after his next trim and see what the trimmer suggests?
What is your experience with a horse going back to work after a laminitis attack?
Reignmaker Miniatures
Well-Known Member
I'm so glad to hear Dusty is doing better.
I can't really offer any advice to you since my mare who had issues was already in lay off due to winter and foaling si it was many months and many trims before I put her back into work. I would think waiting for advice from someone who can see him and knows him well would be a good idea.
MiLo Minis
Well-Known Member
I hate to say this but from the way you describe this I am thinking navicular disease... It comes on gradually, gets worse with exercise and better fairly immediately with rest. They quite often drag their toes. You could have the vet try nerve blocks and xrays. What do his feet look like? Could you post closeup photos of his feet from the side and of the bottom?
I did not know Miniatures could get navicular. He has never carried weight nor worked that hard. I thought that was a QH thing, especially for horses ridden too hard too soon.
MiLo Minis
Well-Known Member
Miniatures are horses and any horse can get navicular. Concussion from being worked too hard on hard ground or in any way that causes more stress on one side of the hoof than the other such as tight cornering or jumping on uneven ground can cause navicular disease and there are certain Quarter horse families that have become known for it mostly because their feet are too small to carry their weight BUT any horse can get navicular if a cause is there. There can be a hereditary prediliction, conformation faults such as steep shoulders and upright pasterns, narrow upright feet, bad trimming where the farrier trims the heel too low and puts the hoof out of line from the pastern, or injuries to the hoof.
What little info there is on navicular, it seems to hit the front feet worst. Dusty's problem was definitely in the hind. I'm going to keep that in mind, however, as it never occured to me before.
He is still galloping and frolicking like crazy and tormenting Dapper Dan. I turned him out in the pasture again a couple of weeks ago and started him again on his vitamins. I have NOT continued the oats and boss, however. He is back on alfalfa, wisk-broom size once a day.
I'm scared to put him in the cart again, in case that triggers another attack.
He is still galloping and frolicking like crazy and tormenting Dapper Dan. I turned him out in the pasture again a couple of weeks ago and started him again on his vitamins. I have NOT continued the oats and boss, however. He is back on alfalfa, wisk-broom size once a day.
I'm scared to put him in the cart again, in case that triggers another attack.
