Genetic predispostion to founder

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Lammie

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I have never really thought much about this. Does anyone think that an equine can be predisposed to conditions like founder? Is there a gene for that? Just wondering. Some of you may know I have miniature donkeys. Bad feet will keep then from being registered, so I guess there must be some sort of genetic predisposition.

Humor me, I'm new... :roll:
 
well...not that i have ever heard. there may be, but i was always told founder could be caused by a number of things such as grass too rich in nutrients, stress, ground that is too hard, wet grass. there are a number of other things.
 
Lammie - There a several possible answers to that question. I'm not a vet nor have I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express recently, so take this for what it's worth.

My personal answer is that every confounded equine out there is genetically predisposed to founder, colic, and a whole host of other dread diseases. :roll: The conventional answer, as SS noted, is that it's caused primarily be non-genetic things like overfeeding or cooling a hot horse down too fast. Some recent research indicates that clot formation and capillaries that open inappropriately may be an underlying cause (see this link, for example http://www.petcaretips.net/founder_laminitis_horse.html ). If that theory is correct, then there may in fact be some genetic predisposition towards founder.

Bottom line is who knows? That's why they call it practicing medicine. :D
 
Every 50 years the vet books seem to have completely different ideas about what causes founder and how to treat it. Im betting 50 years from now the will have different ideas again about it.
A hundred years ago they though if you cooled off a hot horse to quick example rode him in a cold creak when he was hot you would founder him. Now people routines hose off horses after a race with cold water.
Yesterday I had a colt with a mild case of colic. Vet told me to hose off his feet for 15 minutes morning and night to prevent founder because apparently when they colic they tend to want to founder.
Anyway genetics
Far as im concerned the better the horse the more crap will go wrong with him. Dink horses live forever and never see a vet. Mine im running them all the time to the vet. Its not just founder and colic its everything. Stuff you would dream of. Anyway im convinced hat the more TB blood the more troubles. a regular QH has a lot going for it. Haha The next colt I buy is going o be a QH!
 
smart_slider":2957m3zv said:
well...not that i have ever heard. there may be, but i was always told founder could be caused by a number of things such as grass too rich in nutrients, stress, ground that is too hard, wet grass. there are a number of other things.

I was kinda driving at the notion that the predisposition to have the allergies, sensitivities... that cause or contribute to founder would be passed on via genetics.
 
Yes, insulin resistant horses/ponies can be prone to founder. These horses have a hard time processing sugars and starches. They will get sore feet that can progress to founder if fed sweet feed, corn, wheat, and high sugar hays (like some alfalfa, or stressed grass hay). Early spring grass, or grass coming up during/after a bad drought can have a lot of excess sugar and cause some horses to founder (grasses produce more starch/sugar when stressed).

Some horses can be prone to mechanical founder. These horses can be founder-free if trimmed and shod properly, but radiographs nave to be taken so the coffin bone position can be indentified, and the trim or shoeing can be adjusted to bring it back to the proper alignment.
 

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