I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy to hear your baby is doing better.
I do not grain my horses in the summer as they don't work hard enough to need it. They also have incredibly lush pastures so they get all the nutrition they need. I am a follower of natural horse care. I try to introduce minimal supplements, feeds, no shoes, 24 hour access to turn out, etc. I only use a snaffle, or just a halter with line. So this is my bias.
Angelfyre. I am sorry for your loss. How awful. I am going to disagree with you though. I was not suggesting force walking.
Pete Ramey is someone I read and truly respect. Here is a great article on laminitis.
http://www.hoofrehab.com/end_of_white_line_disease.htm#laminitis update
He states this "That said, do not "force-walk" a lame horse. Offer the
choice to move until you can get true comfort in the boot/pad system, or on firm, but yielding terrain. Then, and only then, begin a true exercise program; increasing work as the horse becomes more able."
I did not want my suggetion about keeping the horse moving to be construed as "force walking". Choice is what I meant.
Laminitis is something that really needs a vetrinarianand farrier to treat. I hope that everyone here takes "advice" here just as thoughts to inform you when working with a professional farrier and vet.
I would like to share a quick anecdote with you. I have an Arab that was a bit on the heavy side. I tried to keep his weight down, but did not do a good enough job. He eventually foundered. He had some rotationof the coffin bone. When the vet came, she suggested a trim to reverse the damage. My farrier came and suggested the exact opposite trim. I was beside myself that my two "experts" were at odds. I spent time researching the trim. I found an expert a UMich vet school, emailed him my dilemma, and he responded within an hour. My vet had trained with him and had dropped his name as her source for her treatment. Well, his email came back agreeing with the farrier, not my vet, his protoge. I got us all together and we eventually did what the farrier suggested. And his coffin bone has come back to where it should be.
Edited to add: He was given free choice and walked around our pen from his run in stall during the first weeks after the foundering. So he made a complete recovery. We have gone on to help a rescue pony and mini and another pinto mare with the same issues, using the same treatment. So I am convinced that our approach is working.
My point is, we have to be the experts for those in our charge. Research, question and you decide ultimately whose advice to follow.
