Matt73
Well-Known Member
So about a month ago I went into the barn one morning and saw that Lexus had been rolling in the night (stall was disturbed, straw all over her etc.). But she had her three normal piles of poo and was looking for food. Strange. So I fed her her ration balancer and turned her out with Willow and Levi in the paddock (which is a dry lot...my horses only get a few mouthfuls of grass to and from the paddock). She happily munched on her hay. Then an hour later I look outside and see her laying down....she never lays down outside...ever. I went out and noticed that her rate of respiration was elevated. Took her temp...normal. Talked with my vet and he said he's seen a few cases like this this year. I was so worried that it was colitis or something like what Royal died from and what Willow had two years ago. He said it sounded more like ulcers; I have no idea how she would have ulcers as she leads the most stress-free life a horse can lead, unless you count waiting to be turned out in the morning stressful lol. I got some omeprazole and something else for her and within 3 hours she was perfectly normal. So I got the suspension and she was on that for the month. Ulcer-free and happy
. Phew!
I was getting low on hay a week after that episode, so I decided to get 6 bales from this new tack shop/feed store/hay supplier. I had heard that it was beautiful hay; they get it from out west. It's very expensive...$7.50/bale (that's expensive for us in Ontario). Heavy, green, rich-smelling grassy hay that falls apart when you cut it open. I was so excited to feed it to my guys. But...I fed it sparingly for those reasons. A day before my father's funeral ( the 13th) amd a week after being fed this hay Lexus comes out of the paddock extremely sore on her front feet :s. this is my girl that I've had since she was 10 months old (she's now 7) and has had 2 foals for me and has never been sick a day in her life....not even a change in her poo or anything....solid solid, healthy girl. My heart dropped. I immediately gave her some banamine and cold-hosed her feet. Took her off her ration balancer. Switched her hay to much less green stuff. After a few days of that she was 95% better. And, now, two weeks later she is normal and she's back on her ration balancer. I never thought that hay could induce a laminitic episode...but it did. Hay can be very high in sugars and carbs. So...even for those that are on a dry lot if hay looks too nice it just may be.....:s
I was getting low on hay a week after that episode, so I decided to get 6 bales from this new tack shop/feed store/hay supplier. I had heard that it was beautiful hay; they get it from out west. It's very expensive...$7.50/bale (that's expensive for us in Ontario). Heavy, green, rich-smelling grassy hay that falls apart when you cut it open. I was so excited to feed it to my guys. But...I fed it sparingly for those reasons. A day before my father's funeral ( the 13th) amd a week after being fed this hay Lexus comes out of the paddock extremely sore on her front feet :s. this is my girl that I've had since she was 10 months old (she's now 7) and has had 2 foals for me and has never been sick a day in her life....not even a change in her poo or anything....solid solid, healthy girl. My heart dropped. I immediately gave her some banamine and cold-hosed her feet. Took her off her ration balancer. Switched her hay to much less green stuff. After a few days of that she was 95% better. And, now, two weeks later she is normal and she's back on her ration balancer. I never thought that hay could induce a laminitic episode...but it did. Hay can be very high in sugars and carbs. So...even for those that are on a dry lot if hay looks too nice it just may be.....:s
