Through so many years after finally getting my first pony. I ended up battling so many times with feet problems relating to founder. Hearing this one word can send people away to cower. It can be such a chronic thing at times to battle with especially when you don’t know which way to go about treating it.
Now the definition of founder just to clarify is when the bond between the sensitive and insensitive laminae completely fails, as the laminae dies. This means the attachment of the coffin bone to the hoof breaks down, which can destroy the living tissues around the coffin bone. This usually results with the coffin bone rotating downwards. In extreme cases the coffin bone can come through the sole of the hoof.
On the other hand laminitis, which usually goes hand in hand with founder, is classed as a totally different thing entirely. Laminitis is referred to as an infection of the laminae/tissues, which can cause the coffin bone to detach from the hoof wall.
Now there are a few causes that can cause laminitis and founder so here’s some to name a few…
· Grass founder - A drastic change in the diet e.g. Lush grass, grains etc.
· Drinking copious amounts of water whilst overheated
· Having insulin resistance (almost the same as in humans horses can’t handle the high sugars in the grass)
· Stressful conditions including colic, illnesses and high fevers
After that big introduction though I will get back to the dilemmas with my old pony Timmy. Now his feet problems we off and on along with his weight, but another big problem had been trying to find a farrier just to come out and do his feet. No one wanted to come out to do a pony that would lean on them.
I am not sure how rotated his coffin bones would be. He is an odd case where his back feet are worse than his front feet. However, his souls were not the concave type you would be looking for in a horse. Every farrier has their own view on correcting these horses with a big one being “corrective shoeing”.
Which was done and tried on my old pony, but after all that my opinion stands to reason that it is not the solution to correct the foundered horses feet. I’m still yet to work out how nailing nails through the hoof wall that is already breaking down is supposed to help.
Another method that I had heard of while looking for options was to raise the heels on the horse’s hooves. This is also a ridiculous idea as the coffin bone is already rotated enough without having to raise the heel more.
So I went with bare foot trimming on my own through the worst of times where I couldn’t find a farrier. No it was not the prettiest job in the world but it was better than leaving the hooves to grow on their own and turn into flipper feet.
Well after all these years my answers have finally been answered with the lovely farrier I have now for my old pony. Not only has the answer been granted with him coming out every month on a regular basis, as foundered horses feet grow 10 times as fast. But he has answered my one suspicion I have had all along!
He actually dare I say, trimmed my pony’s souls! For so long no farrier has dared to touch the soul of my pony’s feet. From the words of the farrier when I questioned him “Yeah with all my founder horses I cut back the sole so they aren’t walking on their soles”. For so long this has been in my head that a horse shouldn’t be walking on their soles. There’s no corrective shoeing or any “jazz”, just a regular trim which includes trimming the soles, without needing to go over the top.
Thanks to my farrier my pony has no limps and doesn’t look anywhere near his age. As long as he has his feet done regularly because they do grow so quick his feet are pretty much almost back to normal.
So from someone who has been through a pony that has foundered on and off…. Make sure your farrier trims the sole as well as the hoof (with care of course).
RANT...... OVER!
Jesskah
Now the definition of founder just to clarify is when the bond between the sensitive and insensitive laminae completely fails, as the laminae dies. This means the attachment of the coffin bone to the hoof breaks down, which can destroy the living tissues around the coffin bone. This usually results with the coffin bone rotating downwards. In extreme cases the coffin bone can come through the sole of the hoof.
On the other hand laminitis, which usually goes hand in hand with founder, is classed as a totally different thing entirely. Laminitis is referred to as an infection of the laminae/tissues, which can cause the coffin bone to detach from the hoof wall.
Now there are a few causes that can cause laminitis and founder so here’s some to name a few…
· Grass founder - A drastic change in the diet e.g. Lush grass, grains etc.
· Drinking copious amounts of water whilst overheated
· Having insulin resistance (almost the same as in humans horses can’t handle the high sugars in the grass)
· Stressful conditions including colic, illnesses and high fevers
After that big introduction though I will get back to the dilemmas with my old pony Timmy. Now his feet problems we off and on along with his weight, but another big problem had been trying to find a farrier just to come out and do his feet. No one wanted to come out to do a pony that would lean on them.
I am not sure how rotated his coffin bones would be. He is an odd case where his back feet are worse than his front feet. However, his souls were not the concave type you would be looking for in a horse. Every farrier has their own view on correcting these horses with a big one being “corrective shoeing”.
Which was done and tried on my old pony, but after all that my opinion stands to reason that it is not the solution to correct the foundered horses feet. I’m still yet to work out how nailing nails through the hoof wall that is already breaking down is supposed to help.
Another method that I had heard of while looking for options was to raise the heels on the horse’s hooves. This is also a ridiculous idea as the coffin bone is already rotated enough without having to raise the heel more.
So I went with bare foot trimming on my own through the worst of times where I couldn’t find a farrier. No it was not the prettiest job in the world but it was better than leaving the hooves to grow on their own and turn into flipper feet.
Well after all these years my answers have finally been answered with the lovely farrier I have now for my old pony. Not only has the answer been granted with him coming out every month on a regular basis, as foundered horses feet grow 10 times as fast. But he has answered my one suspicion I have had all along!
He actually dare I say, trimmed my pony’s souls! For so long no farrier has dared to touch the soul of my pony’s feet. From the words of the farrier when I questioned him “Yeah with all my founder horses I cut back the sole so they aren’t walking on their soles”. For so long this has been in my head that a horse shouldn’t be walking on their soles. There’s no corrective shoeing or any “jazz”, just a regular trim which includes trimming the soles, without needing to go over the top.
Thanks to my farrier my pony has no limps and doesn’t look anywhere near his age. As long as he has his feet done regularly because they do grow so quick his feet are pretty much almost back to normal.
So from someone who has been through a pony that has foundered on and off…. Make sure your farrier trims the sole as well as the hoof (with care of course).
RANT...... OVER!
Jesskah
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