As I continue to trim our horses here at the farm and complete trims for clients I am beginning to realize how little the average person in the horse world knows about their horse's feet. Today due in large part to the snow coming down and the general cold outside I am going to pick on founder.
Founder is by definition the weakening of the laminae structures causing the coffin bone which would normally sit parallel to the ground, to tip forward. This change in angle can go unnoticed until something in the metabolism of the horse changes (toxins, overfeeding of sugars/ starches for example grain). The laminae become inflamed and are weakened. This change causes the coffin bone to drop to an even steeper angle and sometimes in severe cases protrude through the sole. The horse will experience severe pain, difficulty walking and overall stiffness.
When a horse/ pony founders, often the heels are too high as seen in the photo here. These high heels are contributing to the probl
em, while the bars are preventing the foot from opening. This foot is essentially suffocating, very little blood is flowing in and out. Note the differences in the frogs between the two feet. The upper photo is actually a healthy foot with a full sturdy frog, while in the lower photo the frog is atrophied, and soft. This pony's founder was actually caused by a lack of movement and an influx of rich grains. While founder is often blamed on the metabolic stress that triggers it, it is often the trim that is received prior to the stress that is the root of the issue.
em, while the bars are preventing the foot from opening. This foot is essentially suffocating, very little blood is flowing in and out. Note the differences in the frogs between the two feet. The upper photo is actually a healthy foot with a full sturdy frog, while in the lower photo the frog is atrophied, and soft. This pony's founder was actually caused by a lack of movement and an influx of rich grains. While founder is often blamed on the metabolic stress that triggers it, it is often the trim that is received prior to the stress that is the root of the issue. In my opinion the trim should be the first thing we are looking to if we are aiming to solve the hoof issues that the horse world is experiencing. Through work in the equine community I have discovered that 9 times out of 10 the issues that cause us the most distress are often caused by discrepancies between the trim the horse needs and the trim the horse is receiving from the hoof care professional. Not all trims are created equally!! It is the responsibility of the owner to do the research and investigate the type of trim and credentials of the professional.
In the mean time we should all continue working towards healthy feet will have to develop our skills and knowledge accordingly to provide the best trim possible for the horses under our care. I hope you found this little blurb helpful. Best of luck in your journey to happy healthy hooves, your horses will thanks you for it!!!
Trimming for Tomorrow
~Marie~
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