Founder and Spring Grass
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Founder (or equine laminitis) is a condition that catches many horse owners by surprise – partly because it can be difficult to spot until the condition is well underway.

The illness is essentially microcirculation of the foot. The animal’s foot doesn't receive enough blood from the circulatory system. The illness is the result of several complex processes and frequently causes lameness in many breeds – as well as the ponies of all breeds if left unchecked.

As a result of Founder, endotoxins develop in the foot and hoof tissue, and circulation to the feet is damaged. A reduced oxygen supply reaches the foot, causing the hoof's sensitive lamina to die. Infection and bone damage can result. If left untreated, the illness can be crippling and potentially fatal.

According to Shelly Mellott, a Baltimore-area horse owner, many horses are predisposed to Founder. Breeds such as Morgans are especially vulnerable.

“Once you have determined that you own a horse which is prone to Founder, it takes a lot of management to make sure that your horse lives a long and healthy life,” Mellott said. “I was training a 18 hand black Morgan who was prone to Founder. Unfortunately, his previous owner turned him out in a paddock that had high grass right after a spring rain.”

According to Mellott, the nutrients in the wet spring grass cause changes in a horse’s blood flow.

“Too much blood ends up in the hooves, and it causes rotation in the coffin bone. Too much rotation and the horse will be too lame and in too much pain to walk or stand. The animal will have to be put down.”

Unfortunately, the black Morgan that Mellott owned faced such a fate, and she still misses him.

If your horse founders, call your vet immediately and do not exercise the horse until he has been examined. There are treatments that enhance blood circulation in the foot using drugs, cold hydrotherapy, support of the hoof and medication to reduce the pain until the animal heals.

However, the best way to treat the illness is to stop it from ever occurring. Prevention is the key.

“ Every time a horse founders, there is more rotation in the bones and more irreparable damage,” Mellott said. “So, it is crucial to manage your horse by making it wear a muzzle when there is high new grass or after a great deal of rain.”

Mellott also recommends limiting turn out, keeping the horse in a dry paddock or indoors during wet weather, carefully managing the feed schedule, and taking care to watch the horse’s weight (which can effect the horses bones and joints). Lower amounts of special dietary feed keeps the wet grass away and can improve your horse’s health over the short term.

Most veterinarians strongly recommend an annual exam for your horse. While a good general idea for all animals, such exams can reveal early signs of pituitary, thyroid and liver dysfunction – all factors in the occurrences and frequency of Founder.

Related Links

• More Information about Equine Laminitis from The Laminitis Trust

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