In times past, horses were responsible for hard work, day in and day out. As a rule, in the modern world, these animals don’t work as hard as they once did, but they are still consuming probably a bit too much and maybe the wrong foods leading to conditions that could otherwise be prevented.

Overfeeding is a common cause of laminitis. It is also referenced as founder, a painful disease that affects hundreds of these animals’ feet. The condition is something that could be minimized with more education into the causes, signs, and symptoms, plus how to control damages in the long-term if a horse were to fall victim to it. 

One piece of information to become familiar with from the start, though the terms “laminitis” and “founder” are often used interchangeably, these are two different issues. Founder is a more chronic situation where laminitis is literally a “lamini inflammation.”

The lamini connects the coffin bone to the hoof, with the coffin bone being “suspended” or held firm by these lamini. The lamini is significant primarily because the animal’s weight combined with a tendon attached to the coffin bone would create such force the coffin bone would be moved out of place if it weren’t for the lamini.

If the lamini inflames, the swelling forces it to lose grip, leaving instability between the bone and the hoof wall. Because of the grip loss, the coffin bone has the potential to shift under the horse’s weight causing the coffin bone to sink into the hoof. 

That deep tendon attached to the coffin bone will create a rotation by yanking the tip of the toe backward. That is known as “founder” or “sunken bone.”

Founder vs.Laminitis

An acute case of laminitis or inflammation of the lamini, as described earlier, is an emergent situation for a horse since it can cause a horse to eventually founder. Once the coffin bone rotates or becomes sunken, the animal’s prognosis becomes dim. 

Once a horse founders, the condition is often exceptionally painful to the point the animal’s quality of life decreases significantly, making euthanasia the most humane choice. 

The suggestion is that horses fed a high-grain or lush pasture diet will see more incidents with their horses for laminitis and founder. There is also an associated risk factor to metabolic issues like “EMS” or “Equine Metabolic Syndrome” or “Cushing’s/PPID. 

A horse who ultimately founders will likely have had at least one but probably more episodes of laminitis. When one instance of founder occurs, and the horse survives that attack, it will likely happen again if the horse is left to contend with the situation.

Horse owners need to educate on proper diet and feeding that encourage prevention of laminitis and founder (check with a nutritionist), health management guidelines, and adequate hoof care for optimum hoof health.

Types of Founder

Laminitis that progresses to founder leads to extreme pain for a horse. The condition references a steady state where the coffin bone basically sinks and rotates. It is a debilitating condition that results in lameness and, typically, euthanasia. 

Founder cases that become advanced result in irreversible lameness as the coffin bone protrudes through the hoof’s sole. Founder can be classified into four categories, including:

1. Acute: The attachment that connects the coffin bone, laminae, and hoof wall sinks.
2. Chronic: The coffin bone in this situation has already sunk or rotated, the laminitis endures for greater than 72 hours
3. Support-limb: When a horse experiences an injury to one foot but starts to have a healthy foot, it relies on for weight-bearing, affected
4. Mechanical: This happens over time as the coffin bone and hoof wall experience a separation due to the laminae breakdown. It can result from overgrown hooves or chronic tension of “DDFT” or “deep digital flexor tendons.”

Signs And Symptoms Of Founder

Typically founder and laminitis in horses will affect their front feet, but it can appear in any of the four feet. Some of the more common symptoms to pay attention for:

1. The horse will lie down more frequently
2. Lameness; sudden onset
3. When in a standing position, the four legs will be under the animal’s body, or the legs will be “camped out” at the front of the horse.  
4. The horse will resist movement or walking
5. There will be reluctance with leg bending
6. You’ll be able to feel the heat and a pulse in the foot
7. The animal will noticeably shift weight between legs back and forth

Some horses will develop a chronic case of laminitis after having an acute episode. Still, some animals will show no signs of being lame or in pain despite a “chronically abnormal structure.” Some signs to pay attention for that will be an indication of “impaired hoof integrity” and laminitis:

1. Foot abscesses developing after an initial acute laminitis attack
2. The hoof’s dorsal side will produce a concavity
3. You should notice a “widened white line”
4. Growth rings will be divergent

Treatment of Founder

Of course, early detection and subsequent treating laminitis in horses will produce the best results, and prevention is idyllic in both laminitis and founder cases. That means looking at the root of the issues, including diet and feeding or possible underlying medical conditions. With adequate wellness checks, early detection could be possible.

Horses might need to be removed from the pasture or taken off of grain products. Some horses overindulge in feed. A procedure referenced as a “nasogastric tube” where excess feed is taken from the gastrointestinal tract for the animals that overeat boasts one option.

When a horse develops founder, it’s crucial to have a soft area for the animal to lie down or stand to alleviate the pressure from the laminae on the weak hoof. The severity will determine whether the horse will require stall rest or benefit from moving to promote blood circulation in the foot. 

A veterinarian might consider many different treatments, including surgery, if caught early with the potential for a horse to recover from founder. Still, suppose there is severe damage to the structure, and the animal is experiencing constant pain with an inability to recover from the lameness. In that case, it’s for their greatest good to help them out of their discomfort with euthanasia.

Final Thought

Regular veterinary care plus maintaining diet and feeding guidelines from a registered dietician can be beneficial in the prevention of laminitis and founder in horses. 

Many animals suffering from the conditions develop laminitis initially from diet or overfeeding. Vet wellness checks, adequate grooming and hoof care, and dietary monitoring might not eliminate the problem but could maybe create a significant dent.