In over four decades I've never had a horse founder. I've seen a few over the years, but have never had to deal with a case of my own. I have had two mild incidences of farrier induced laminitis, but both were resolved quickly with ice soaks & anti-inflammatories (& changing farriers!). Unfortunately this week I joined the ranks of those who have dealt with founder, a devastating, often times fatal disease of the hooves. As I journey into the dark depths of founder, I can only hope that what I learn will one day prevent another horse from suffering. And if it doesn't prevent the onset of founder, then at least let me know enough to save the next horse.
On Monday Sept 7, 2009, two registered arabians came into my life. FA Ovaature, aka Lady, is a 22 year old, dark bay mare of outstanding quality. Maarked Crescendo, aka Maark, is an 8 year old, dark bay gelding. They are mother & son, both with wonderful bone, substance, & stunning heads. Lady & Maark had traveled from MN to N CA, never stepping off the trailer in route. This decision proved to be a serious mistake. I had spoke with the shipper a number of times prior to their arrival. He had warned me that Maark was overweight. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine HOW overweight. The gelding that jumped off the trailer into my drive is the fattest horse I have ever seen. If you can believe it, he even has fat on his nose. There are rolls along his sides & back that pull his skin taut, making for a very creepy feel as you pet him. While Lady is carrying some odd fatty pads throughout her body, she isn't technically overweight & her ribs are slightly showing. She came off the trailer ever so slightly sore footed across my rocky drive. Neither appeared to be in stress & I was thrilled with my beautiful new horses.
Fast forward three hours & it was apparent that Lady was foundering. She was beginning to stand in that classical, sawhorse stance. My trimmer, Sally, graciously gave up her Labor Day ride to come see what she could do to help. By the time she arrived, it was apparent that Maark was also starting to crash. He was getting foot sore & not wanting to move much. It was unbelievable & I was devastated. Lady's heels were extremely high & her toes overly long. Sally did what she could to get Lady's feet a little more balanced. By the structure of her hooves, it was evident that she had previously foundered. Maark also got a little work done but with not knowing what was going on inside the hooves, it was like trimming blind. I gave each a dose of Bute (an anti-inflammatory) & soaked Maark's feet in ice. He was so good, standing perfectly still with both front feet in a feed pan full of ice & water. I could only hope that he was suffering from laminitis & not foundering.
On Sally's recommendation I had both horses x-rayed. We needed to see what was going on inside those feet. When a horse founders the coffin bone rotates out of position & it can drop through the sole. The coffin bone can also demineralize. If the damage is bad enough humane euthanasia is the only option. While I wanted to know what was happening, I was also afraid to know. Both horses were so well mannered for the vet. They had to stand one foot on a board for each x-ray. Their behavior was a testament to their wonderful dispositions. I knew they were in pain but yet they were trying to do everything asked of them. Lady & Maark started getting a dose of Bute morning & night while I waited for the x-ray results. I was also spreading their hay out in handfuls throughout their one acre pasture. I didn't want them to stand & gorge on their meals, I wanted them to "graze". Not only would they eat more naturally, they would also have to move around which aids in circulation to those ailing feet. It's so heart wrenching to watch a horse in pain from founder. Even standing still causes pain.
When I got home Friday night I had a phone message from the vet. Maark had laminitis but he was NOT yet foundering. Icing those hooves had just become a priority to keep the heat & inflammation out. I'm going to do whatever I can to keep him from full blown founder. Lady's x-rays showed that she was indeed foundering. She has rotation in both front feet. My heart sunk at the news. The vet went on to say that while Lady was foundering, it was her opinion that Lady could be saved. Her hooves have plenty of soul depth & the coffin bone is nowhere near dropping through the sole. While there are some bone changes & signs of pedal ostisis, her coffin bone is intact enough that she has a good chance of being pasture sound. This was WONDERFUL news. I called to let Sally know & she said she'd be out Sunday morning to begin treating both horses. I was so giddy with excitement that it was well after midnight before I fell asleep.
I have been warned that founder can be an emotional roller coaster to treat. As soon as the horse appears to be on the mend, another crash can come. Lady & Maark both shows classic signs of Insulin Resistance. They have fatty deposits, crested necks, & even the non-existent hollows above their eyes are marshmallow puffy. IR horses need to be fed special diets to control the disease & their weight because obesity is one of many founder causes. While both have IR & Maark is morbidly obese, I believe it was the long, continuous trailer ride that pushed them over the edge.
Tomorrow brings a new day & I can't wait to see what Sally has in mind to help these two deserving horses. While I'm riding an emotional high tonight, I am aware that I could be on the downhill slide at any time.
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