Vibes for Quest please - update

[leannwithconnie]

Sounds as if the vet was very thorough Pam...So glad Quest is better today.

[harveydales]

Well, I'm feeling very anxious about the whole thing tonight. Quest was fine this morning and I let him out in a tiny patch of grass between the field gate and his stable for just 1 hour. He was fine and came in fine but he does have a bit of diahroea. I suspect it is more to do with the change in hay than the grass, even though I've introduced it ever so gradually. I've arranged to send a sample of our hay in for analysis so I can compare it to our 2006 hay.

The fact that Quest has reacted this way doesn't bode well. I suppose I'm feeling a little bit down about it all is because my friend Irene told me some awful news today that shocked me to the core. Her Cleveland Bay cross called Dutch, who was only 17 but semi retired as he was no longer sound enough for dressage but still fine for hacking, went on loan to a local woman last year. We all thought every thing was going well but it now turns out he must have had lami during the summer quite badly. Irene collected Dutch from the woman who said she couldn't cope any more (this was the first she had heard about it) and it turned out he was in a really bad way, pedal bones badly rotated. After a long struggle trying to get him right, Irene decided it was time to call it a day.

Quest seems so bright and happy in himself that I can't think he is any where near that stage but I do hope I'm not deluding myself.

[nars]

Oh, poor boy. I do hope you can get to the bottom of this Pam. Give Quest a big hug from me and Louistic.

I'm shocked to hear about Dutch. Poor Irene. What a terrible shock for her. Please tell her I am thinking of her.

[Debbie]

Poor Dutch!!! Its hard to know what's best with any of them. I'm surprised a Cleveland bay cross is having these problems.

It seems so strange to me, as a teen, the only ones who came down with lami were ponies, and the very rare horse with a cresty neck. That was it, and we stuffed those poor horses with alfalfa hay and sweetfeed....makes me shudder to think of what we used to feed, thinking we were doing a 'good thing' for them.

And now everyone has to be ultra ultra careful with changes in the grass, and trying to find hay that's suitable. Even the grasshays seem to hold dangers. What in the world's going on??

Pam, I'm really pleased the vet was happy with him. Sometimes it helps to have a fresh set of eyes glancing over. They can spot things more objectively than those of us who see them everyday. I'm sure you're not deluging yourself.

[harveydales]

I know Debbie, we used to feed loads of straight cereals in the old days and I don't think I ever heard of a horse with Laminitis. I think part of it is that we simply don't work out horses the way we used to. I know I certainly don't - years ago a daily hack meant 3 hours out, plenty of hill work and no slouching around. Even with Harvey, I used to school him reasonabley hard every day but can't do it any longer. Very few horses round here get worked as much as they should.

I also blame the feed companies who are aiming at people who may not have a horsey background and encouraging them to feed all these hundreds of different mixes, not to mention the many supplements available.

Finally, veterinary medicine has come on a long way and horses live much longer so we are bound to see more Cushings related laminitis. I do wonder how many low grade Laminitis cases went un-noticed in the old days though.

Anyway, Quest has been fine again today but I kept him in because of the atrocious weather.

[northmare]

Keeping my fingers crossed for you and Quest

I have heard of a few cases of lami near me this year in horses and ponies who have never had it before - maybe due to downfalls of rain in summer making grass just too rich? (Meg was one who sadly was a casualty of last summer).

I don't remember hearing of any cases from people I knew back in the old days when I was at school (70's) (and there were some quite fat ponies around). We always fed straights although it was very hit and miss with no real nutritional balance like the feeds now.I wonder, though, if the feeds are just too much for some now.

[harveydales]

Mmmm, that is true, the changing climate must be having an effect on the grass and so the risk of laminitis along with the feeds available today.

I'm still waiting for the results of the blood test. I had hoped to hear something today but at least Quest is doing well. He is very much back to his old self, organising Harvey and Winnie and socialising generally. At least I know he will tell me when he's hd enough.

[Debbie]

I've heard the arguement time and time again that our pets and horses are living longer now, so more chance for things to crop up, but when I was working at all the boarding stables in the 80s, I was around so many different horses that were older! So many of them were in their 20s, and still in full work. Lots of them were older 20s (26, 28) and into their thirties with no soundness issues. One mare I rode was 32 at the time, and they'd finally retired her as a broodie when she was 30! It wasn't from her not wanting to have another baby either, but the owners said enough was enough.

I never saw any horse that looked like the classic Cushings we see today. I think I'd seen maybe three horses total that were classic cresty necks, and although I could see from their hooves that they'd foundered, they certainly carried on right as rain and the one mare was incredibly light and extremely forward going....and it wasn't from her pottering. Dixie had fantastic paces although she was easily the most prone I'd ever seen a horse. In fact, she only recently retired after being used for 14 years!

It just seems so stonking weird that our animals are suddenly having things like Cushings. Its the same with dogs....I'd never seen a dog with Cushings til the late 90s. Its just mindboogling to me. I can't seem to get my head around what's going on with them.

That said, Blossom's watched like a hawk (she must be fed up with my daily glances over). And I'm sure you're the same about your lads We'd do anything for them!

[jonib]

I do hope Quest continues to improve.

Dont give up..My little shetland mare was very lame for about a year with vet and I discussing if best to call it a day...then she recovered and is now out 24/7,all weathers and usually canters in from the field for her feed. So there is hope x

[leannwithconnie]

That is terrible sad news about your friends horse Pam. Remember though that you are far more vigilant then the loan person clearly was and that you would never allow Quest to get so bad.
As for the trots... well it could be the change from hay etc as I have the same problem with Connie at the moment. She gets the runs with the changes in hay and also if the grass starts growing a little on a milder day so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
Glad he seems back on form now though.

[PonyGirl]

This is the same at the farm. Sassy is prone to bad things happening to a good mule.

Glad to hear things are on the mend.

[bevbob]

Oh just caught up with this Pam, glad everything has settled down.
It is funny how lami has increased, I put it down to the climate changing.....I cant believe how spring like it is at the moment.