[ppd]

 I need your help and expertise! I have a pony who is recovering from laminitis and two others who have had in the past. The one 'with' is on box rest, with a small patch of bare ground, but the other two are on a  paddock of very short grass. I was supposed to go and collect a new pony with a friend today for her daughter but it has come down with laminitis too and the vet who was out to it said they are going down like flies at the moment!
 My worry is that the grass that the two ponies are out on is getting stressed and being so short they getting the grass with the most sugars! I can't limit turnout at the moment so thinking of going down the line of grass muzzles - can put them in the next field, but how long does the grass need to be to have a muzzle on?
 I hate this time of year grrrrrrrrrr

[lachlanandmarcus]

Its true that short grass has more sugar BUT unless you can strip graze or muzzle then shorter grass at least means they eat less, weigh less and are at less lami risk from that aspect.
Muzzle - really any length of grass is fine, the hungry ponies are the most determined to get the muzzle to work and will work out a way of getting something, but if you are concerned you could add some soaked hay to the field too.
Shires and Roma muzzles are both inexpensive, Shires lasts longer and is tougher and Roma one is softer and less likely to rub but less hardwearing. You might have to experiment with size whichever make you go for to avoid rubbing and my pony has to have a headcollar on top to stop her removing the muzzle
You might feel really mean for muzzling but it def cruel to be kind and you are being kind!

[ppd]

Thanks lachlanandmarcus for that. I could strip graze but never know how much to give and restricted time on grass is a bit dangerous too - I believe that even given a couple of hours a day grazing and they soon learn to gorge so can still get 80% of intake in that time! from what I know a muzzle at least lets them roam to graze and not restrict their area, and will cut down on sugars ie. topping the grass. I won't feel bad as know it is for their own health and wellbeing! well I probably will when I look out the window and they give you that 'you might as well shoot me now (as you are already trying to starve me to death) look
And thanks for the info on the makes of muzzle, having never had one before.

[SallyintNorth]

If you have stabling available, you could maybe try keeping them in during the morning when the sugars are rising the most and letting them out to graze in the evening / overnight when the sugars have mostly retreated back down the stem.  Then you could perhaps let them have a wider area so they exercise more moving around.

It's a puzzle though, isn't it? 

[Small Farmer]

We have both old and young horses so we create a narrow strip for the pony on one side of the field the others share and we let that graze right down. When it is markedly short we extend the strip into an "L" and then a "U" around the sides so the pony has a lot of distance but not much area. He has to exercise to graze then.

[sabrina]

My geldings are in a bare paddock during the day then in the yard with the building doors open. They get hay. Pitstop who has dropped soles has to wear boots when turned out as they hard ground hurts his feet and he becomes crippled.

[ppd]

Thanks all! Can't keep them in as lami pony is in field shelter and two weaners have their bed in the only bit of our outbuildings that would be suitable and I doubt the ponies would want to share The ponies are not currently overweight (which is good) But one got laminitis last year when she was is good shape at the time so still a worry. Sally, I like the sound of the strip, then L then U. I suppose along the same lines of (I think called) paradise grazing? I feed a bit of hay too - keeps the tummies from getting too runny and the field is so bare they enjoy it. I also remember now that I had the last year lami pony on pink powder (gut balancer) so may try a bit of that too.

[lachlanandmarcus]

if you can find anything to mix it into then magnesium oxide is the best for lami. Often lacking in pasture too. My lami prone girl is currently on a double dose with her vit and min supp in a few handfuls of hi fi lite. I have to dampen it as otherwise she tips it on the floor so all the supps fall to the bottom and just eats the hifi..clever pony! I dont give her P/Powder as she have very good and efficient digestion and I find it tends to put on condition, whereas big colic prone chap gets it.
I would def feed magnesium to a lami before PP unless they need condition.
You can get the 'light' version (ironically darker in colour) of mag ox which is approx 85% pure, and the 'heavy' which is white and 98% pure. Think Royal mail must think Im a drug dealer with my grey/white powder packages. I get the less pure one as Liesel is greedy so will eat it mixed with the chaff, if the horse was fussy I would get the purer heavy version as the dosage is smaller (not big anyway but I think the taste is more palatable too)

[Hellybee]

I d only use pp personally if a horse ever came here looking thrifty, not on a lami one.....if you want to get some good flora in there, use the yoghurt and also as a medium to get meds down theyre neck, i got one in now (one not even on my radar) , she can smell it in her food, so it down the hatch in a syringe tonight ..  cleavers are being hoovered up a treat too....my two "watch like a hawk " ones are doing really well, soft and very fluid in theyre movement.....but as we know it s a very fine line this time of year.....

[ppd]

Thank all
I will get some magnesium on order. He is doing well at last farrier visit said he could find no signs of change in hooves and all looking well, so got it in time! A friend has put her ponies up here for the summer so our girls can ride after school so have sorted out strip grazing and at least there are 5 of them now to chomp it down!