Professional Advice

The hoofcare specialist came out today and told me that Whisper and Promise are both dealing with founder issues.  Chris, Erin, and I were shocked to pull up to Whisper barely able to put pressure on her right front leg yesterday morning. She stumbled and tripped as she tried not to allow weight to go on the leg, I cringed with each step wishing I could do something to take the pain from her and wondering if she had been that way for the few days I wasn't with her.

Founder, aka laminitis, is an inflammation reaction brought on by all sorts of things though this time of year commonly by the high sugar content in spring grass. Horses do best in the spring and summer being confined during the day and turned out at night in addition to limiting grazing on pasture after temps dip close to frost at night resulting in even higher sugar load.

Founder is the second leading cause of death in horses, colic being the first, often because humane euthanasia is the only relief for a severe case. In it's worst form, the coffin bone can rotate and actually penetrate the sole of the hoof. You can imagine the agony that could cause a horse. Often horses dealing with founder stand in an unusual stance,  like a halter show horse spreads out, in an effort to relieve the pain in all 4 feet. I'm fit to be tied over this information and I'll have the vet out first thing in the morning to assess the girls.

** Post Script **

The day after hoof evaluation, I had a vet consult to determine the extent of the founder. I learned a few things

1. Laminitis is the broad term of the inflamed laminae, founder is the end stages
2. hoof bulge, that the hoof person pointed out, can be created from any type of hoof inflammation, including but not limited to founder
3. the pasture we have the horses on has enough weed load that it does not contain enough rich grass to founder a horse Whisper's size (a very small pony or mini is possible)

The pain Whisper is having is a hoof abscess, not founder. To my dismay, brought on by the way the hoofcare person was trimming her feet. With Whisper's flat feet, she suffered a stone bruise that resulted in a deep and painful abscess.

A lesson on being careful what 'professional advice' you trust.