The word "founder" is described in my Webster's dictionary as to: "send to the bottom, collapse, to become disabled, to go lame, to give way, to disable (an animal) esp. by exessive feeding. Most horse owners know what founder is, and what causes it (at least to some extent). In fact, thousands of horses are euthanized every year because of founder. It is rampant, and completely common, and it's early signs (laminitis) effect more horses than we think.
Founder is more common in the spring, when the new green grass comes in and the horses are free to gorge themselves all day long on lush, green grass. In the wild, founder is rare, but not unheard of. Most wild horses NEVER have the opportunity to graze in areas of lush, high-sugar pastures, but live life on the move, grazing mostly dry grasses here and there, while constantly moving and burning off lots of calories. Our domestic horses do not have that option. They are free to stand around and eat feed brought to them in buckets. Pastures are normally devoid of exercise inducments, and the grass so thick that they don't need to move around much to feed. One the fast growth levels off, the horses still are not out of danger because overgrazing stresses grass, which causes the grass to store more sugar.
During the winter, horses are commonly fed hay and sweet feed or other prepared feeds with sugars added. In the spring, the grain continues while the grass in growing in...and it just becomes too much for the horse, and he founders. It does not happen overnight, but is usually lurking there, just waiting for the right opportunity. Many horses are insulin resistant and "easy keepers". These are the horses that are especially prone to founder.
Steel shoes, often applied when the horse turns up gimpy in the spring, further add to the damage by limiting expansion and contraction of the foot, the "hoof mechanism" if you will. The more the hoof can expand and contract, the more blood will flow through it, helping to remove toxins BEFORE they have a chance to build up in the hoof and cause visible lameness. Keeping your horse barefoot and trimmed frequently is certainly a step in the right direction, but DIET is the critical key to keeping your horse sound.
Once a horse founders, he is more likely to founder again in the future. Prevention involves dry lots, more exercise, grazing muzzles, natural feeding, reducing treats, and treating with small amounts of fruits or vegtables instead of "horse treats". Pete Ramey has written some really good articles on founder, which I highly recommend every horse owner read. They are on his website at www.hoofrehab.com
Jamie Jackson has also written a very lenghthy book on founder, and it can be ordered through your local bookstore, or Amazon.com. Another "must see" website is www.safergrass.org This website explains in detail the whys and what-nots of safe grasses and grazing to prevent laminitis and founder. Please take the time to study these sites as they cover a lot of vital information..
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