Founder is a very common term in the horse world. Founder (also known as laminitis) is very painful for horses, but can be prevented. Some horses are more susceptible to get founder than others, and this is why it’s important to know if your horse is at risk.
What is Founder?
In basic terms, foundering is when a horse consumes too much sugar. Sugar comes from the grass, sweet feed, or whatever your horse may eat that has high sugar content. The sugar and the starches gets into your horses’ bloodstream and goes down to the hoof and has nowhere else to go.
The tissues in the hoof are sensitive to these starches and therefore become inflamed. This causes the coffin bone to rotate. Founder commonly occurs in the front hooves. This is a very painful condition for your horse, therefore it should be taken seriously.
Horses that are most at risk
Some horses have a higher risk of getting founder than others. If your horse is an easy keeper (meaning they gain weight very easily) then you want to watch what and how much your horse is eating. You need to keep an eye on your horse’s weight and make sure your horse gets plenty of exercise.
How to Prevent Founder
Preventing founder is much easier than trying to treat it. You first want to make sure that your horse has a balanced diet. This can mean that your horse isn’t getting too much of something over the other. For example, if you have a horse that has a pasture/hay only diet, you may need to supplement mineral and salt or feed a ration balancer.
An easy way to make sure your horse has a balanced diet is to look at supplements by Life Data Labs. They have many options for supplements that ensure your horse has a balanced diet while providing hoof support. They have great customer service and can help you decide which supplement would be best for your horse. They also have a supplement called Laminae Formula that helps a horse that has acute or chronic laminitis. You can also speak with an equine nutritionist to help make sure your horse is getting what it needs.
Grass intake
After you look at your horse’s diet, you need to watch how much your horse is eating. If your horse is on a green, lush pasture, then that can be a great risk for founder to occur. You have a few options to limit your horse’s grass intake.
The first way you can limit your horse’s grass intake is to put your horse in a stall. Some horse owners keep their horse in a stall during the day, and turn the horse out at night. The reason for doing this is because the sugar content is lower in the grass at night than it is in the day. If you don’t want to put your horse in a stall, you can have your horse in a dry lot. I think dry lots are great because your horse can still move around freely, but just not eat grass.
Grazing Muzzles
The last option you have to limit your horse’s grass intake is to use a grazing muzzle. This is the most common method horse owners use because it allows your horse to have movement and socialize with other horses. Grazing muzzles are designed to limit how much grass your horse can eat.
There are many grazing muzzle options, some highly recommended ones are the Greenguard muzzle, Flexible Filly Grazing muzzle, and the Tough-1 breathe easy muzzle. Most grazing muzzles can be attached onto your horse’s halter, but some come attached on a halter. When looking for a grazing muzzle, I recommend you find one that is the most breathable, lightweight, and durable.
Signs of Founder
If your horse has foundered, it is very noticeable. Your horse can have a variety of symptoms when founder occurs. Some symptoms are: sudden lameness, a strong pulse felt in the foot, hesitation to walk or move, shifting weight from leg to leg, and laying down more often. If you think your horse has foundered, you need to have your vet and farrier help diagnose the problem.
Treatment Options
Depending on the cause and severity of the founder, your horse may be given medication, cold therapy, or foam supports. Your horse may have to be on stall rest, or in severe cases require surgery.
Conclusion
Founder is a very painful condition that horse owners need to be aware about. If you take the steps to prevent founder, you can decrease the risk of your horse foundering.
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