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Post by Mr Frosty on Nov 10, 2006 9:09:52 GMT
Can someone in the know please tell me about frost and laminitus. I am on the understanding that a frost will turn the sugar in grass to fructose which can cause laminitus, therefore we are advised not to turn ponies out if there is a frost.
However what about ponies who are turned away at this time of year for a rest? I have woken up this morning to a horrendous frost and am now panicking as i have ponies which have been turned out for a few weeks now. Should i get them in?
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Post by guest21 on Nov 10, 2006 11:04:35 GMT
Fructans are the storage carbohydrate of the grass, and levels are probably highest when the
grass is active but cannot actually grow i.e. on a cold frosty sunny morning.
I read somewhere that laminitc prone ponies and horses should not have access to frosty grass especially when the temprature does not exceed 9 degrees as this is the point when the grass could actually grow and use up some of its fructan storage levels.
Mine don't go out if its frosty at all.
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woof
Full Member
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Post by woof on Nov 10, 2006 12:18:00 GMT
guest21 is spot on with the description of the Fructans, I have had first had experience of this problem last November, my little pony who has never had laminitis was affected last year cos of the frost, he came in and I could'nt even tell which leg he was lame on and was very confused he was so unsound anyway great farrier who i rang and he explained it to me. Now with that pony i just get him in first thing in the morning for a couple of hours if it's frosty, apparently the problem occurs as the frost is thawing in the sunshine, I also have a proper lammy pony that the frost has no effect on whatsoever so I think some are prone to it. Hope this helps.
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Post by hmmmm on Nov 10, 2006 18:21:47 GMT
It isn't actually the frost that causes the lammi. What happens is when the sun hits the grass, the sugars which are stored overnight cannot be used up because the grass temp is below 6degs, so the grass has all the ingredients to grow, but can't because it is tto cold, hence the sugars are much higher.
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Post by sallyw on Nov 17, 2006 8:49:56 GMT
I don't turn mine out when there is a frost because I had also understood that it caused laminitis. There is also the safety aspect of skidding around on the frost and maybe causing damage to themselves BUT what happens to ponies that are out all the time. Do they eat before the frost comes and then not eat the frosted grass until it defrosts or do they develop a tolerance? Does anyone know?I guess if you are worried you could always put some hay out and they would presumeably eat that instead.
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Post by twinkle on Nov 23, 2006 20:23:33 GMT
We had a pony which not only got laminitus from frost, but also colic!!! After that, we always kept the ponies in and gave them hay to line their stomachs as this was what the vet advised. Ponies that are turned out all the time are ok and shouldn't get it because their bodies adapt throughout the night as the frost develops.
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woof
Full Member
Posts: 358
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Post by woof on Nov 23, 2006 21:07:16 GMT
Twinkle did'nt know about the colic aspect but does make sense but I hate to tell you that horses that live out can and are affected exactly the same. The one of mine that was affected last November had only ever lived out as we have nowhere to put him in, it was quite a shock when i got to the field and he was sooo lame, luckily got him off the grass and all was well!!
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