Please help. We recently rescued an abused Shetland pony. We believe hse is approx. 3 years old and 350 pounds. We have no experience with horses or ponies and cannot seem to get much good advice around here. We fenced in 1/2 acre of pasture for her and she has been in it for one week. We were just told yesterday that it's way to large for her and that she could get Laminitis. We are currently fencein off a smaller area for her. The pasture has a pasture mix of alfalfa, timothy & clover. How often can she free graze in the large area? What should we be feeding her? How can we tell if she ate too much rich pasture and has Laminitis? And any other advice you can give. The vet says she is overweight. Thanks for any help.

Where are you from? Delaware

How did you locate this forum? web search

Hello Gina,

First, let me congratulate you on your new pony and commend you for saving her. You are doing a wonderful thing.

Pasture does not automatically cause laminitis in all horses. Lush, late afternoon pasture, in combination with other factors can, however, make her more susceptible to developing this condition. The key is the amount of sugar she is getting. The sugar level in grasses is highest in the late afternoon. So, to start with, you can remove her from pasture later in the day, and offer her grass hay. As she progresses, you can gradually allow her to graze more and more while watching her condition.

You mentioned that she has been abused. What is the condition of her health now? Has she been fed adequately? These details will help in better “prescribing” a plan for you. However, in the meantime, here are a few guidelines:

First, let her graze – the size of the pasture is not relevant – it has to do with how much grass she is eating in the late afternoon. Your pasture is balanced – with high quality protein (mixture of grasses and legumes), so this is excellent. As I mentioned earlier – gradually allow more late-afternoon grazing as her health improves. And, make sure she has hay to eat at all times.

Second, offer her two meals each day – small meals – of a low starch feed. And, add a good multiple vitamin/mineral supplement to the mixture.

She should have clean, fresh water at all times. And, provide a plain, iodized salt lick in the field for her.

Not all ponies get laminitis. This is a complicated condition that can be caused by a variety of factors. One of the most common type occurs in overweight horses who consume a large amount of starch and sugar. So, until you get to know her tolerance level and her health improves, avoid giving her sugary sweets (carrots or apples), sweet feeds, or grain-based feeds. Once she grows stronger, you can offer her some treats on occasion.

I hope this helps. Keep me posted on her condition.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Thanks so much for the advice. It's such a releif!
She is in better condition now. She was at a shelter for awhile which is where she got overweight. She has scars and such, but almost everything is healed now. At least on the outside. The shelter had her on a diet of 2 flakes of hay per day as well as 1 cup of sweet feed mixed with rolled oats and a little grass grazing. The vet says this is too much, but was not interested in taking the time to tell "newbies" exactly what to feed her. She said not to feed her at all if she can graze, but that seems extreme.
So we can leave her in the pasture but not in the afternoon? We work 8-5, so maybe let her run the pasture in the morning and then at night when we get home? And can you tell me a low starch food to buy, and apptrox. how much to give twice a day? We have a mineral lick in her run in, do we also need a salt lick? We have been using treats to try and gain her trust (apples & carrots) what else can we use that would be better for her? (She loves grapes) We have been walking her each day & brushing her as much as she will allow to try and get her used to us and not so skittish.

Where are you from? Delaware

How did you locate this forum? web search

Hi Gina,

You can let her graze during the day and when you get home by 5:00 pm bring her in. You didn’t mention that she has foundered in the past, so the pasture situation may not be a problem at all. However, take her off the pasture for now, when you get home, since the fructan levels will be at their highest just before sunset. During the night, the levels do start to drop, because the plant uses the sugar for energy (while there is no sunlight for photosynthesis).

Depending on what is in your area, there are several low starch feeds available, such as Triple Crown Low Starch, Nutrena Safe Choice, and Farr XTN (also Nutrena). You can follow the instructions on the label for her weight, but it will likely be around ¼ to ½ pound of feed per meal (2 meals/day).

Instead of a mineralized salt lick, I prefer using a plain, iodized one. She will get the minerals she needs in the complete ration that you give her. I would suggest, however, that you provide her with a supplement that is high in omega 3 fatty acids, such as Grand Complete, to round out the diet and give her the additional support from these essential fatty acids.

You can offer her a carrot/day or a few grapes. Just don’t overdue it because you want to get her to lose some weight. Instead of these sweet treats, pick up some alfalfa cubes and offer her small chunks – break them up or moisten them so she won’t choke.

You’re doing a great job!

All the best,

Dr. Getty