founder, lameness,etc...

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mornin yall...i've been readin the boards and have gotten so much information from yall, it's great. still some things that confuse me. like founder, if a horse has had it , can you ride him? if not ridable, will he ever be ? when? and how will you know when? same questions for lameness...my horse is fine but i tend to be overprotective and check him continually. maybe i have a foot phobia! thanks for any light you can shed...mell

 

[Alan]

Bburke,

That's a question with many varibles for an answer. Depends on how bad the founder was, and what may be causing the lameness.

My wife has a older paint mare who had foundered somewhere in the past, she's a great trail horse and will go for ever, we just watch her feed, because she will founder easier now that she has once already.

The lameness issue depends on what causes the lameness, rock bruise, sore muscles, injury, tender foot, ect. Lots of times good shoes will solve lameness issues.

Either way if your horse isn't right I wouldn't ride it. You need to get a good farrier or vet out to do a lameness test.

JMO,
Alan

 

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howdy, alan...my old guy is fine...would'nt dare ride him if i thought he wasn't up to it. just hearin yall answer questions about this "founder" made me wonder about it. there's alot i don't know and hope to come across it only through the boards. so, does that mean founder is just another word for lame? and please tell me about this "test" and what it involves.my farrier is an old pro and hasn't ever mentioned this stuff to me. thanks for the help, mell

 

[msscamp]

No, founder is not another word for lameness. Founder occurs when the horse eats to much of something (grass, grain, etc) that has a very high protein or, I believe, sugar content. Like lush spring grass. Founder usually affects the front hooves and results in the hooves growing abnormally. It can also result in laminitis and the coffin bone rotating downwards. There are also other things that can cause laminitis, though. Colic and stress are the only two I can think of right now, sorry.

Here is a link to several articles regarding founder:

http://thehorse.com/Search.aspx?tbKeyword=Founder

As you are (sorry, I'm drawing conclusions that may not be true - no offense intended) somewhat new and inexperienced, you might want to check out Equus magazine. It is an excellent source of information for all kinds of different things relating to horses. Also, the above link is another excellent source for information. Good luck with your horse! Hope you have lots of good times with him.

 

[kaneranch]

Foundering comes from eating to much feed. I have a friend that bought a house with some acres and the people gave them their horse that was foundered. The horse was severly foundered and he kind of limps around now. Obeously he couldn't be ridden. Just thought that I would share. Thanks Kaenranch

 

[Alan]

does that mean founder is just another word for lame? and please tell me about this "test" and what it involves.my farrier is an old pro and hasn't ever mentioned this stuff to me. thanks for the help, mell

As stated already founder is not a another word for lamness, founder is a lot more involved, in terms of recovery and corrective action. (in most cases). Lame just means the horse is limping.

A lamness test is not a test to see if the horse is lame, it's a test to see if the horse may have a problem to make it go lame in a short period of work. In short to see if you get out on the trail and an hour or so your walking the horse back because of a lamness problem that is with the horse forever.

The lameness test is alot of work for you. A vet or a farrier will extend a leg forward so that it is streched to the max and hold it for about 30 to 45 seconds (may even be a minute) then when they release the leg they ask you to trot the horse out as the foot falls. They watch to see how the first couple of steps are and how the horse moves for a distance. They repeat this on the same leg only they hold the leg back and and extend it for the same amount of time. The two positions are done for each leg. So you're doing a lot of running.

There is also a tool they use to "pinch" the hoof the check for soreness or tender hooves.

It's been along time since I endured a lameness test so I may be off a little. It also seems like they do it on a warmed up horse.

I wish I had a better answer for you.

Good luck and above all enjoy the feeling a good horse can give you.

Alan

 

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thanks to all of yall for your info. yep, i am new to all this stuff but readin everything possible about it. really love listenin to yall. by the way, yesterday, i had a man over here helpin haul away some junk. my horse was tied up nearby but not too close. he, the horse, got real addled and was quick steppin back and forth and makin these really strange, almost mean faces. no big noises or anything that would scare him happened. i've noticed he does this whenever other people are close to me, not necessarily him. could a horse get jealous? if someone comes over to see him, i take them out and he does this. if they go out without me by them, he won't.. still learnin, mell

 

[Scotty]

mornin yall...i've been readin the boards and have gotten so much information from yall, it's great. still some things that confuse me. like founder, if a horse has had it , can you ride him? if not ridable, will he ever be ? when? and how will you know when? same questions for lameness...my horse is fine but i tend to be overprotective and check him continually. maybe i have a foot phobia! thanks for any light you can shed...mell

Back to your question. If you catch it and keep the animal trimmed or shod you should have not problems. Alot depends on the severity of the founder. A miled one like I had the mare was good for riding for about five years. Then she got worse. We kept her trimmed and she foled for the next six years. I have to say I might not go throught that crap again. Its a full time job and not to sound to cruel, there is not a shortage of horses. Evaluate the animal and what it means to you. Your looking at an expensive chore. Or learn how to be a ferrier.


Scotty

 

[J&T Farm]

As a horseshoer I will try to shed a little light. First Laminitis and founder is the same thing just two names for one problem. Laminitis is can be caused by any sudden shock to a horses system. Overeating of feed is the most common though. It can also be caused by spoiled or moldy feed, hard work on a hard road,cdrinking cold water when overheated and numerous other ways.

 

[msscamp]

could a horse get jealous? if someone comes over to see him, i take them out and he does this. if they go out without me by them, he won't.. still learnin, mell

Yes, some horses can and do become jealous. Legs is one of our horses, but she belongs to Dad. Not because Dad says so, but because Legs says so. If he saddles Tomi Star or another of our horses, she gets upset. She will stomp, nicker, toss her head, sometimes lay her ears back, and just look outraged. I can be in the corral with her petting her or grooming her and if Dad comes down she will go to the spot in the corral that is closest to him, put her head over the fence and nicker to him. If he does not come over and pet her, she becomes very upset. I can ride her, my sister-in-law can ride her, anyone can ride her, but she will not do for any of us what she will do for Dad. Some horses are just one-person horses. Sounds like you are lucky enough to have one.

 

[Wilson_Cattle_Company]

mornin yall...i've been readin the boards and have gotten so much information from yall, it's great. still some things that confuse me. like founder, if a horse has had it , can you ride him? if not ridable, will he ever be ? when? and how will you know when? same questions for lameness...my horse is fine but i tend to be overprotective and check him continually. maybe i have a foot phobia! thanks for any light you can shed...mell

Howdy,

Founder is inflammation of the laminated tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse. It is mostly casued by over-consumption of high protein feeds. Example: Sweet Feed, and Alfalfa. There is high protein in that combination and is to much for the horse. In most cases I would NOT ride a horse that is foundered until you can "repair" the animal if the founder is bad. The horse would have to have trimming attention constantly. As far as when you can ride it again depends on what conditions the conditions are in. ;-) That depends on how the horse is "healing" and what not. I have seen founder before. The WORST that I have seen was on a brood mare. She got in the grain and foundered. The Coffin Bone rotated 28 degrees. This is the worst founder that I have seen and that is NOT bad at all. She was still breedable and rideable.

However, trimming attention was required and aquired on a routine basis.