Saffron’s story – managing metabolic issues in older ponies

In 2010, Saffron’s rehomer Kim found that her pony was in need of a friend when her ridden horse was away at events. She applied to rehome Saffron, a 11.1hh Welsh Section A pony, and was invited to meet her at our Glenda Spooner Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre, in Somerset. It was quickly clear that Saffron would be the perfect pal for Kim’s own pony of a similar size. Now, after 15 years in her home, Saffron’s personality is just as sparky as ever and she’s still going strong at 21 years old.

As a native breed, Saffron has always been very prone to weight gain and has needed her waistline watched carefully her entire life. Metabolic issues are quite common in older horses and so when Saffron got laminitis as she turned 20, it didn’t come as a big surprise when she was diagnosed with Cushing’s and Equine Metabolic Syndrome. “When Saffron’s blood test results came back, her insulin levels were sky-high,” explains Kim. “To be healthy, it should be in the thirties, but Saffron’s insulin levels were nearly 300 at their highest.”

“The vet advised that Saffron should have a medication called ertugliflozin to help get her insulin back down to a healthy level. We also got more weight off her, taking her down to a body condition score of 2.5 out of 5. She’s now on Prascend to manage her Cushing’s, as well as insulin tablets to control her insulin levels, and the medication plus weight loss has really helped – we got her insulin levels back down to 29.”

A few years ago, Kim had built some all-weather surfaced turnout pens, which have come into their own in enabling Saffron to still have space to move around without being out on grass. “My bigger horses are OK with turnout but the two ponies go out on grass for the morning and then come into their pens after that, with soaked hay for the afternoon,” says Kim. “They have four small nets of soaked hay put out at intervals throughout the day, to make sure they’re never without forage for too long.”

Rehoming officer Sarah carries out Saffron’s twice-yearly rehoming visits and says:

“It’s always brilliant to see Saffron in such a healthy condition when I pop in to see her. Keeping weight off cobs and native ponies can be a real challenge, and Kim does an incredible job of managing Saffron’s waistline. I know there’s a lot of hard work and dedication that goes into it, and it really pays off.”

If you’re struggling with managing a ‘good-doer’, you can find lots of useful tips and advice on our weight management page. You can also find out more about laminitis and Equine Metabolic Syndrome.