Cures for Foundered Horses

Founder is caused by the hoof disease laminitis, where the laminae inside of the hoof wall are inflamed and beginning to detach. Generally, a laminitic horse is not considered to be foundering until the coffin bone inside of the hoof begins to rotate downward. However, the treatments for laminitis and founder are the same. Diet is considered to have a huge impact on the likelihood of previously foundered horses to have a relapse, as is weight.

  1. Stall Rest

    • A foundered horse is immediately put on stall rest, preferably on deep bedding to cushion his sore feet. Withhold the grain, and soak the hay to remove sugars before feeding it to your horse.

    Drugs

    • According to the Horse Owner's Veterinary Handbook, your veterinarian may give your horse a combination of Banamine (an anti-endotoxin), Butazolidin (an anti-inflammatory) and Acepromazine (a sedative). Butazolidin and Acepromazine work together to reduce capillary constriction and hypertension.

    Pad the Hooves

    • You can pad your horse's foot yourself by duct-taping some type of hardy, cushioning material to the hoof. You can also have your farrier come out to add wedges or pads to your horse's heels that provide cushioning.

    Farrier Work

    • Your farrier's job after a horse has foundered is to try to keep the coffin bone from rotating any more through shoeing or trimming.

    Diet

    • Obese horses and those who eat too many carbohydrates are more prone to founder. Cut back on the amount of grain your horse eats, and consider switching to a low-starch pellet that many feed companies offer now. Switch your hay supply to one that is low in sugar, or soak your horse's hay in water to reduce the sugar content.

    Avoid Certain Grasses

    • Keep a foundered horse off of lush, early-spring pasture, as such growing grass is full of sugars. Also, grasses in drought conditions produce a lot of sugar, as well as grasses that are drought-resistant. If you can't move your horse off of the pasture, fit him with a grazing muzzle to limit his intake.