14/06/2026
Beautifully written, acknowledging horsesโ needs and human challenges, without judgement!! Great post! ๐ฆ๐ธ
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ......๐ฅ
On this day, back in 2023, this was the Holly that greeted me- she was not a happy bunny ๐ฃ๐ฑ
Like all horses, Holly is designed to access ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ and largely poor quality forage whilst travelling many miles a day. ๐๐
Under my care, she has access to high quality, largely ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ grass with very little need to move far. A possible recipe for disaster. ๐๏ธ
Whilst the choices I make for Holly are done with the ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ (muzzling, strip grazing etc) managing EMS alongside the grass takes continous ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ-๐ณ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด - and the fire feels largely invisible. ๐ฅ๐ฑ
As an owner you should strive relentlessly to give your horse space to "๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐", but often you are continually reminded that the space your horse is kept in was designed, in the first instance, for cows or sheep. And they have ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ needs to horses. ๐
Nevertheless, it is helpful to remain ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐๐๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ when handling laminitis - otherwise it is a complete misery.
The more in-tune to your horse's "๐๐๐๐๐๐" you are, the more you can make tweaks before the worst happens. I knew Holly would be okay again soon - .
๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ. โจ๏ธ
It's not helpful to torment yourself with thoughts about grass free turnout, track systems and the like if that isn't something that your current set up provides (and you're not prepared to ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ). ๐
Livery yards are often chosen for a host personal reasons and always with some level of ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ. I knew the grass was very good at the yard where I keep my horses, but it was a risk I took because, alongside a host of other benefits, the yard permits sociable paddocks and is close enough to my house for me to check on my horses at any time.๐
On this day, there were no pulses, hot feet or swishy soles, but Holly's overly pottery gait, firm crest and clear unhappiness was enough to ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐. ๐ฑโ๏ธ
Remember - ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐!๐ด
