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Horse Founder

1. The term “Founder” is a much more than a common term for the painful condition in the horse’s foot. The term has been around for hundreds of years and its origin comes from a naval term. A ship “foundered” on the rocks or sand was unable to move, much like a foundered horse was unable to walk. When the coffin bone would actually “sink” and go through the sole, the naval-termed horse founder was set even more.

The term “Laminitis” is seen in veterinary books in only the last 100 years – doctors were able to identify the tissue damaged in the horse’s feet and applied a name to the tissue – Laminae. By adding the “itis” to the tissue’s name, it denoted inflammation in that tissue, so “Laminitis” was a more scientific name.

2. Through the centuries, owners were able to see different types of founder – the most common type of horse founder was “Road Founder” from overuse on hard roads. The foot underwent too many concussive events per day and the Laminae were affected. The second most common type of horse founder seen long ago was “Grass Founder”, especially in pony breeds. Horse Insulin Resistance problems have been with the horse since their very start.

3. Time changes types of horse founder

Due to people’s need for large amounts of work to be done by the horse, few horses were overweight centuries ago. Exercise pushed back Equine Insulin Resistance. Also, grain was expensive and difficult to harvest, so most farm animals did not get it fed in large amounts, which further controlled horse founder. As mechanized farm equipment and trucks were able to plant, harvest and move more grain cheaply, the grain meal size increased and exercise decreased. Equine Insulin Resistance became a larger and larger problem and now is the #1 cause of horse founder. The term “Grain Founder” and “Grain Overload” were used more often as the years went by. From the start of horses, horse founder from Colitis/Colic, infections, retained placentas, too much weight on one leg if other leg is injured…have been around. Nowadays, true Road Founder is rare.

4. So is it having “Laminitis” or is my horse “Foundered”?

From the AAEP 2005

• “The term Laminitis and Founder are used interchangeable. However, Founder usually refers to a chronic (long term) condition associated with rotation of the coffin bone, whereas acute Laminitis refers to symptoms associated with sudden initial attack including pain and inflammation of the tissue.”
• Often, horses will undergo many Laminitis events before movement of the coffin bone occurs either by sinking down or rotating forward. Doctors will see a Laminitis episode and radiographs taken at the time are often not showing coffin bone shifts, but as years go by, small changes occur and updated radiographs show position changes. Recent studies show that coffin bone pathology is taking place microscopically right from the start of Laminitis. We just could not see it on radiographs, but CT Scans of coffin bones and stained sections of bone show the damage right away.

The coffin bone is changing in early-stage Laminitis even if there is no movement (sink, rotate, etc.). Early on, radiographs can be normal, but CT Scans/microscopically the coffin bone is affected – it did not escape damage, it just was not damaged as badly as to change position.

Your doctor will take films of the foot to see either:

1. Changes from the last set of films.
2. Changes seen now which could be from 5 years ago or in just the last few days – there is no time clock to tell if just happened.
3. Often take films 2-4 weeks after the first set to see if went from Laminitis to Horse Founder or to see if previous Horse Founder is advancing.

 

• “A horse can have Laminitis, heal, and not Founder.” Dr. Scott Morrison, AAEP member for AQHA, Daily, 2013 (sharp Vet). Well Put – Laminitis injury occurs, healing required.
• The more and more Laminitis episodes pile up (“goes lame twice a year”) the more chances it will become Horse Founder.

5. Can my horse become un-Foundered?

Yes, many talented Veterinary-Farrier teams have had cases with large amounts of sinking/rotating on radiographs and with hard work and time were able to get the coffin bone back in place. I have seen follow-up films on Foundered horses that you could not tell they ever had a problem. Improvement on the position of the coffin bone on a Horse Founder case is an important goal.

Proper diet and exercise is essential for horse health. This product is a supplement to help maintain horse health.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.