Everything Horses and Livestock® Magazine May 2018 Vol 3 Issue 2

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

recover since it foundered?” That is a tough question to answer since there are many underlying issues. It depends on how bad the founder was, is there any movement of the coffin bone, how much rotation there is. All these questions can be answered by your veterinarian and farrier by performing x-rays, radiographs and testing with hoof testers. Hooves with chronic low-grade founder are easier to manage by improving the condition of the hoof with certain types of shoeing techniques. Ponies can be treated with a more aggressive approach since there is less weight. In the examples you will see a pony that was left unattended and

Time Of Year For Grass Founder By Alan Eggenberger

Everyone always gets excited when the flowers start blooming, and the grass and trees start turning green. They know Spring is right around the corner. What some people don't understand is, this time of year may be the beginning of serious problems for some ponies/horses that are prone to developing grass founder. inflammation of the laminae in the hoof capsule. This time of year, the grass is rapidly growing and producing more sugars, in turn, causes a PH imbalance that stimulates an overgrowth of bacteria in the horse’s large intestine. The bacteria produce harmful toxins that are carried by the bloodstream to the hoof where it causes damage not only to the laminae, but the blood vessels as well. Ponies, horses over the age of 10, easy keepers or overweight should be the focus of founder prevention since they seem especially vulnerable during this time of year. Some of the most common Laminitis or founder, as it is commonly called, is

signs of grass founder are: • Sudden lameness • Reluctance to move or walk • Pulse felt in the foot • Discomfort when standing • Heat on the hoof wall • Standing with hind feet more underneath them. Here are a few ways to avoid grass founder: • Ponies and horses that are easy keepers should be kept off the lush green grass until the grass has slowed down in growth. • Should your horses need to be on pastures, make sure the pastures were not grazed very short over the winter months. • Turn your ponies or horses out for short periods of time to allow them to graze if need be. • Allow your ponies or horses to fill up on hay before turning them on grass for a few hours. • A grazing muzzle on during turnout will help reduce the risk because it prevents the horse from eating too much grass. A common question that is asked by many “Can my horse

then a picture of what the hoof looked like after I was finished.

With all, please keep an eye on your horses or ponies this time of year. The best defense against grass founder is to be proactive and remain focused on the hooves.

Everything Horses and Livestock® | May 2018 | EHALmagazine.com 38