have you ever had grass laminitis diagnosed in a yearling?

[Stacie]

or..how likely is it that a yearling would be metabolic (or have a mineral imbalance that would make her look that way)

[YankeeLawyer]

This does not directly answer your question but I did have grass laminitis diagnosed in a 4 year old and the vets commented that that was really young. He did, as it turned out, have an underlying metabolic condition and made a full recovery once put on an appropriate program. He is on a low dose of pergolide and a thyroid medication for maintenance.

I have a vet that is phenomenal with these cases - if you have a horse that is presenting symptoms, pm me and I would be happy to provide more details.

[Stacie]

Post #7 on this thread shows pictures of my yearlings coronary bands, which are bruised. When I researched it, it looked like low grade laminitis could be the problem, but she is a yearling! I'm wondering if there is something about the soil that is causing a mineral imbalance.
http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=214069

[pintopiaffe]

Are you Nova as in Scotia? Or as in No VA?

If Scotia, the non-ending snow, then non-ending rain has all sorts of funky feet stuff going on... :dead:

[Stacie]

Virginia. But we've had a very wet spring and the beginning of summer was cool and wet as well. Sooo much green grass and wet feet.

[lauriep]

I've seen some of this on our youngsters and have always attributed it to very wet conditions. Farrier hasn't ever even commented on it, and it has always resolved once it dries out. And only visible in white feet...

[Stacie]

Were they really sore? Honestly I wouldn't care except she is sore.

[lauriep]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But think how very soft their feet get in these conditions, especially the white ones. If it were me, I'd try to keep her in more, and let the feet dry out and harden up again. Try to turn her out when there is the least moisture in the grass (dew is a problem here as well) possible.

[JB]

Doesn't look like laminitis - looks like possibly an abcess or bruise, either something working its way out from inside, or he dinged his foot on something, or, as mentioned, it's a pressure bruise from stomping.

Are the pictures of 3 different feet? I ask because they all look like hind feet - more oval (and pointier up front) as opposed to round.

[Stacie]

three different feet. The last pic is a front foot. The shape distortion is due to the angle the picture was taken from. She definitely does not have oval front feet :D

[Stacie]

It's laminitis :cry:

Beware if you have big babies on immature feet.

You can see the update on the thread in Horse Care

[NancyM]

To answer your original question, yes, I have had a yearling TB filly grass founder. It happened about 25 years ago now. I had not thought it was really much of a possibility of happening, especially with a young TB. So yes, it is possible. She had mild coffin bone rotation. She came sound, and raced once as a two year old, won first time out, but it was only a short baby race. Longer distances were not an option for her, her foot could not take that amount of pounding. She did go on with a hunter career though, a successful one. She was a short, stocky built horse, looked like a QH actually. Known in the barn as "Pork Chop". Very difficult to get her slim enough to race, an air fern. Good luck with yours.