Why the risk is higher than you might think

Donkeys and native ponies are wonderfully efficient eaters, and that is precisely the problem. Bred for sparse hill grazing and, in the donkey's case, semi-arid scrub, their metabolism is built to extract every last calorie from poor forage. Put them on a lush, fertilised paddock in lowland Britain and they will gain weight on what looks to us like very little grass at all.

The danger is laminitis. When a pony or donkey takes in more sugar and starch than its system can handle, the delicate laminae inside the hoof can become inflamed and weaken. The result is a lame, miserable animal and, in serious cases, a rotated pedal bone that may never fully recover. Fat animals are at far higher risk, but even lean ones can founder on a sudden flush of spring grass.

Learn to spot the early signs: a pottery, hesitant stride on hard ground, heat in the hoof wall, a pounding digital pulse at the back of the fetlock, or a horse that shifts its weight from foot to foot when standing. A cresty neck, fat pads behind the shoulder and a dimple above the tail head are your other warning flags. Check these weekly, and use a weigh tape monthly so you notice changes before they become a crisis.

Making restricted grazing work

Restriction does not have to mean a bare, muddy square. Done well, it keeps your animals occupied, moving and genuinely hungry for their bucket feed.

• Strip grazing: give a narrow strip behind an electric fence, sized to last roughly half a day, then move the fence forward. Always keep a back fence behind them so they cannot graze the regrowth, which is highest in sugar.
• Track or loop systems: fence a permanent perimeter track around a larger field and let the middle grow long. Ponies walk far more than they would in a square paddock, and the ungrazed centre can be cut for hay later.
• Paddock rotation: if you have several small paddocks, rotate every few days and let each rest. This also helps break the worm cycle.
• Grazing muzzles: useful in short bursts, but they frustrate some animals badly and rub the muzzle and chin. Introduce them gradually, never leave one on for more than a few hours at a time, and never use one as a substitute for proper fencing.

Timing matters as much as area. Grass sugar peaks on sunny afternoons and on bright frosty mornings after a cold night, so turnout overnight in spring and early summer, when sugar levels are lowest, is often the safest option.

Choosing and managing forage

For most restricted-grazing animals, hay is the backbone of the diet. Aim for a water-soluble carbohydrate level under about 10 per cent on a dry matter basis, which usually means late-cut meadow hay rather than early-cut ryegrass. If you cannot have a sample tested, soak the hay.

• Soak for 12 hours in plenty of fresh, cold water, then drain thoroughly before feeding.
• Change the water between nets, and never let animals drink the soak water.
• Hot-water soaking for an hour works too, but cold soaking is more forgiving for most smallholders.
• Feed weighed nets rather than free access, and split the ration into two or three small feeds so there are no long empty gaps.

Barley or oat straw can replace up to a third of the hay ration for donkeys and good-doers, adding bulk without much sugar. Introduce it slowly over a fortnight, and always provide plenty of fresh water alongside. A small feed of soaked unmolassed sugar beet pulp and a low-calorie chaff makes a useful carrier for supplements without adding much energy.

Minerals, water and daily checks

Grass on restricted grazing is short and often deficient in key minerals, so a broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral balancer is worth the modest cost. Look for one formulated for laminitis-prone animals, with good levels of magnesium, zinc, copper and biotin for hoof quality. A plain salt lick is a sensible extra, especially in warm weather.

Water must be clean, unfrozen and available at all times. A thirsty animal will drink more, and a donkey that is not drinking is at risk of impaction colic. Donkeys in particular come from arid regions and cope poorly with cold, wet British weather, so provide a field shelter or a thick hedge and, if your donkey is elderly or thin-skinned, a lightweight turnout rug in driving rain.

Hooves and movement

Picking out all four hooves daily is the single best habit you can build. It lets you feel for heat, smell for thrush and spot bruising or a brewing abscess early, when it is easy to treat.

Book a farrier every six to eight weeks. Donkeys often grow horn quickly and can go longer between visits, but never stretch the interval if the hoof is cracking, flaring or growing uneven. Ask your farrier to show you what a healthy, well-balanced hoof looks like on your own animal, and take photographs so you can compare month to month.

Movement is medicine. Every step stimulates blood flow through the hoof and burns calories. Even twenty minutes of hand-walking or loose exercise in a dry paddock four or five times a week makes a real difference to a good-doer.

Seasonal watchpoints

March to May is the danger zone, when the spring flush sends sugar levels soaring. Bring animals in, use the muzzle, or restrict to a bare paddock with hay. September and October bring a second flush after autumn rain, and mild winters mean grass can keep growing well into December.

Winter is usually the safest grazing period, and for many ponies and donkeys a little healthy weight loss between November and February is exactly what you want. Weigh, condition score and check hooves all year round, and adjust the fencing before the grass gets ahead of you rather than after. A little planning now saves a great deal of worry later.