Stiffness

becnreps · Stiffness

After Repsols "outbreak" of LGL and him putting on too much weight, I had two choices - keep him in 24/7 or put him out for a few hours.
I chose to put him out because obviously, keeping him in isn't so good for him or his feet.
So, I gradually introduced grass ... until now, each day, he is out for about 3 hours. Last week, I left him out for 4 hours as I couldn't get down to the yard in time. He came in with quite bad purpley pink bruising on his feet. Decided that was obviously too long for him and kept him in for a day after that happened.
After that 'episode' we went back to the normal 3 hours turnout. However, he is very footsore still (if not getting worse). So I could keep him in for longer and only turn out for an hour say ... but I have a problem ...
I brought him out of the stable today this afternoon to turn him out for a few hours and he could hardly walk, he was so stiff. Crying or Very sad

Is this kind of stiffness even normal for an 8 year old?! I've never noticed him being this stiff, even when I've kept him in for a few days last winter ... Confused

I'm so down about all of this, I just dont know what to do.
If I put him out for longer, he might get lami or put on more weight ...
If I keep him in longer, it doesn't seem fair as he is so stiff Sad

dorisday

Hi Becnreps, rotten to hear Reps is struggling. Probably not the scientific answer you're looking for but have you got a muzzle for him? I've always found them invaluable, and my fat pone is doing great with hers - on all day long, then off overnight on the barest of ground with hay, then back on sharp first thing.

brucea

Which is where we were with our cob I'm afraid - and the answer came in a bit of waste ground I was ablr to clear and fence off - it's quite nice now with pea geravel and a connected trough - but a the start anything with space to move around and no grass was what we needed.

Strange - how you notice the sensitivity much more when you remove much of the thing they are intollerant to...

vickyclink

sorry to hear that!
It is so difficult isnt it!
I am in similar situation with my pony.. very frustrating.. she is on gravel area and shelter and tiny patch of bare gound with sprigs of grass but not really anything. I want her to move around more, and ride or play/lunge her everyday!

I would prefer her to be in the muzzle in a way, so she moves more, but cant seem to get her to accept the muzzle and she has smashed her head around and has now broken it (muzzle, not head!) by ramming it into the metal watertrough and finally snapping it..
i guess its just time.. but i cant help but long for winter when there is less grass!
has anyone had a pony who has no time for the muzzle and have they eventually got used to it??

Yann

Although she's too polite to smash it up Rio has never settled with a muzzle and always gets quite distressed about it. They invariably make her sore somewhere too Confused

stormybracken

My New Forest was given to me because he was unusable during the spring/summer as a head shaking 11 year old who had had laminitic attack(s), with strict instructions to clean his sheath a couple of times a week, and use a grass muzzle. I never tried the muzzle because he was very touchy about his face, even to put a halter on, although is always happy to have a fly mask or nose net on (just as happy to remove them at some point during the day)! I think a combination of natural horsemanship techniques and comfort have meant he has worked all year so far. At the moment he is footy on stony tracks, since last week, and having met someone who is having to mow his lawn twice a week you can tell how much the grass is growing. It is tricky because the more his movement is retricted the fatter and footier he becomes, catch 22 when you only have grass, however bare, paddocks. BUT I haven't had to clean his sheath once, and having trawled through threads from previous months I understand why.
Am still giggling about the "confessions" one. Perhaps that is why my other horse is lame, I'm not bonkers enough yet! getting there Very Happy

becnreps

Thanks everyone for your replies, its really difficult with him at the moment. I needed some reassurance really that this is somewhere near 'normal'!
I've got a grazing muzzle and I'm going to try that on him. Hopefully that will work - if not, I think I'm going to try and have a conversation with the YO to see if we can accommodate him in some way. I cant have him being that stiff, it was horrible! Sad

What makes it even worse is that my Mum said:
"oh its probably that new fancy diet that you're feeding him thats making him stiff like that" ... argh! Evil or Very Mad

Jo Mitchell

Personally I would get the vet out to get a diagnosis.

If your horse is in pain and stiff and this has not been normal for him before and so it out of characterthen I personally feel it would be the kindest thing for him to have the vet look at him and possibly prescribe some pain relief.

Jo

becnreps