Treating Founder
(Chronic Laminitis) without Horseshoes
Guest book posts, 2000
Gretchen Fathauer's replies are in RED.
Thank you so very much for having this site. I have found more information here than I have from asking the same questions all my life. I have bought this pony for my daughter. They love each other, and I could not ask for a better pony for her. I feel she is very safe with him.
Once he recovers more fully, he may be less safe when he is feeling better! I hear this time and again from my readers...
His name is Mickey. However, I knew that he was foundered before I bought him. I did whatever I could within my power for him. His feet had been or started in to the skies, all four of them. The back feet were the worst.
This sometimes happens when a horse is bad to shoe in the hinds--they wind up not getting done much.
I was having him trimmed every 2 to 3 weeks. We were making progress. We finally got him short enough to see that the coffin bone was starting to show itself through the bottom of the foot. And then the abscesses started. I had no idea what was happening. I stuck with him and have done a lot of praying.
Abscessing is a normal, but miserable, part of the healing process, once the circulation is restored enough to enable it.
I am now on my third horse shoer and wound up putting shoes on him, for about a month, giving him bute to ease the pain and keep him up on his feet. I also started feeding him MSM. That was the recommendation of the vet. He also had a selenium deficiency and was tying up, too. The vet told me that he had been foundered badly and that it did really showed in the hind feet.
That is because his hinds being left to get longer had more mechanical leverage on the laminae. He may have been bad about letting the farrier work on his hinds, but the resulting neglect made him founder worse on the hinds--really too bad this was allowed to happen.But he did not feel that that was the problem at that time. I now feed him Northwest supplement, pasture in the summer and cut grass hay from the pasture and a really small flake of alfalfa for the winter. We did really well this summer. I got him off of all the medications except for the Northwest feed. Then at Christmas I pulled the shoes off, and went on vacation. I came home to him lying down and not wanting to move. I do not know if it is from removing the shoes or that he got out while I was gone and got into a bail of grass mixed alfalfa hay, or a combination of both? At this point I am confused and not sure where to start again.
When you pull the shoes, you increase the circulation. This results in a return of feeling--and pain. Much like the pain in your hands when you come in half-frozen on a winter's day, and then start to thaw out....it hurts! Further, if he was allowed to stand around idle or remain confined to a stall after his circulation was restored via a proper barefoot trim, you get more inflammation. Constant freedom to roam around is key to this approach working. The increase in circulation also enabled to feet to begin to repair damaged tissue, which unfortunately involves hoof abscesses when there is significant damage.A lot of people tell me to give up on him and get another pony for my daughter, they say once founder they are ruined.
Not true!
But this pony is a great one and I don't want that. I was going to take him to the vet. But I found your web site and don't think that they can do very much for me at this point.
Well, they can do X-rays, which I think are very valuable.
I would like any help that you could offer me at this point. He is a Quarter-Welch-? Possible POA pony, He 12 hands, big boned, big feed, and a stout pony. He is 10 years old and I do not know the history of his younger days. But his feet do look better now and the coffin bone has started rotating back.
This tells me he is beginning to recover.
If he is able to recover, should I expect a off and on periods of lameness? Or is it possible for a recovery at this point?
Yes on both counts.
Or is he to old for the bones to come back to a normal or closer to a normal position?
10 is young! And you have already seen some reversal of rotation, which is progress!
Is it possible to regain a normal gait again?
Sabine and Dr. Strasser have had many full recoveries. It can be done.
Is it possible for him to bear the weight of an adult? (150 lbs.)
I don't have any experience with this, but I am a little leery.
Is it possible to shoe him with out hurting him more in the future again?
After you read Dr. Strasser's book, I don't think you will want to shoe. Shoeing is not the only alternative, though. Removable boots like Horsneakers have so many advantages and offer superior protection, traction and concussion absorption....and have the advanctages of being barefooted when he is not being worked.
I live in Washington State, in a sandy, hot area. Is this helpful or a hurt for him? I know that taking some pictures of the bones would help answer these questions. And that will probably be one of my next steps. But if you could give me any hope and answers I would be grateful.
Thanks Robin
Thank you for your time. Robin Headley beefuzz@3-cities.com
Great site. Very informative.
I need to find a farrier in the Chicago area that is familiar with this type of trimming!
If anyone knows please email me at Tennwlkr@aol.com
Thanks
I recommend calling David Frederick, DVM, in Woodstock, IL. He is an equine vet who specializes in founder, and who advocates a barefoot approach. He is not exactly doing a Strasser trim, but he does use a barefoot approach. He also is willing and able to pull shoes and trim. Still, I recommend that you refine the trim with the guidelines on my site. He may be more familiar with the farriers in the area. I have not boarded in the Chicago area for some time, and am out of the loop.
Thank You So Much For such wonderful information. This is the most informative pages I have ever read! I have been an Arabian breeder for 35 years and appreciate any education that is available. This will help my horses and has given me new insight to a lot of questions. Thank you again for a wonderful website. Debbie Nowak Abraxas Arabians http://www.abraxasarabians.com AbraxasArb@aol.com
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Thank you for a very educational site, it has been very helpful.
Gretchen, Thank you so much for the tremendous work you have put into this web site. I finally have some hope for my 14 year old Morgan that foundered before Thanksgiving. We were shoeing him in egg bars with pads as no one seeemed to know what else to do. It didn't make sense to me. Your website has answered many of my questions and has made such sense. I printed it out and gave it to my farrier so that when he comes next week to pull the shoes and begin the trims, he'll have some guidelines. Will keep you updated Dawn Wagstaff, kingdom @izzy.net
Thank-you for your information! Candy Kimmes, President, Midwest Farm Animal Rescue vah0703@chibardun.net
I just love your site. I hope this is what I have been looking for to help our stud, Doc. Conventional methods have not been getting the job done, to help him with his founder. Poor man! Just found your site and ordered the books today. What you say about lowering heels and rolling toes makes sense to me. Can`t wait to get started.
THANK YOU Tom Palahniuk tease@ecol.net
Thank you for the education, tomorrow I go back with my mare (6yrs old) who foundered Jan 1, 00 . we treated so far the heat with bute, ace, isoxuprene. I hope that the vet will remove the heel and we take it from there. Looks like fescue toxin. kholst@fadal.com Kathleen holst
Gretchen Fathauer's reply to Kathleen--
Please don't keep up very long with ace, bute and isoxuprene! You would do better with a couple doses of activated charcoal, the trim, natural board, plus getting the horse away from the fescue.
I have to tell you, however, that many horses who used to founder on fescue, no longer do when they have had their hoof mechanism fully restored with a frequent, correct barefoot trim. Many of my readers whose horses and ponies used to grass founder at the drop of a hat are now grazing without repercussions.
Prolonged heavy drug use can have serious consequences, like ulcers, dehydration and kidney failure. What you are describing really makes me nervous!.
--Gretchen Fathauer
Very interesting! My wife recently adopted a mare with severe problems. The horse was foundered by a very careless owner, who was forced to give the horse up to the Animal Shelter by the local sheriff. The mare has great breeding & a great pesonality. We want to save her if possible. William Schmidt eng@ierindustries.com So far vets and farriers have said she needs to be put down...some of the cases in your web site appear much worse!
Your page was most enlightening. After talking to my vet and reading your page, we were comforted to know all is not lost with our Cinnamon Girl. Her foundering is not severe and we are treating her. Your pictures showed me what thevet was describing. A picture is worth more than a thousand words. Thanks again. Dan & Tina woots1@hotmail.com
I think your address is very informational! I have a 11 yr. old barrel horse that foundered in the winter of 1998. I have had 4 vets out to look at her and they don't know what to do. I have also had 3 farriers out to see her and do the trimming and stuff. If you have any infomation please e-mail me at rockenherigon13@hotmail.com. Thank You!! Bobbie Herigon
Gretchen Fathauer's reply to the above post--
My site already does have a lot of information on it, but I urge you to read it in its entirety, without skimming or skipping around.
I need a lot more information to go on to be able to comment on your horse specifically. I really need a detailed history and photos of her feet to be able to help you more. I also recommend you do the phone/photo consultations with Sabine Kells, and read Dr. Strasser and Jaime's books.
--Gretchen Fathauer gretchenfathauer@prodigy.net
I have a large pony Quarter Horse-Arab cross that foundered. He came up lame for a few days after shoeing, and then got better. I continued to show him. The next month my farrier noticed a red line on his sole near the white line of the front hooves, and said he had foundered. I called a vet out and had him x-rayed. He only showed any sign of lameness when we really torqued him on a circle. The x-rays showed 2-degree rotation. She recommended bar shoes and getting his heels up. He got slowly worse. He got to the point of lying down all the time. I took the bar shoes off and decided they had to be the cause.
The shoes plus the high heels were what was getting him worse.
His hooves just did not look right. I started searching for information and found this information on the internet. I trimmed his hooves the wild horse trim and now see slow improvement. He's up more and moving not quite as stiffly. I am sure the bar shoes made the rotation worse. I will be getting more x-rays later. I am excited about the improvement. I was sure I was going to have to put him down, but now I have hope. I gave my farrier copies of this trim. He's very interested and is planning to ask at the American Farrier's Association about it.
He may not get a very friendly reception--my ideas are not popular yet. But as more and more people start getting better results trying Jaime's and Dr. Strasser's ideas than with high heels and barshoes, we will eventually win more people over.
I am excited about the results I've seen and only wish I read this sooner. I am sure with 2-degree rotation he would be fine now with the wild horse trim and no shoes. Thank you for the information. Deanna R. Cook River Bend Farm 7729 Courthouse Rd. Spotsylvania, Va. 22553 By the way, I am clueless why he foundered, 2 other horses in the same field are fine.
It was probably that the way his feet were done, his coffin bone was tilted more than the other two. Also, some harder-hooved breeds of horses do not get enough hoof mechanism on soft ground. I urge you to consult with Sabine Kells with the phone/photo consultations. I cannot speculate any further, as I know nothing about your horses, and have not seen their feet or heard anything about their histories.
It does not sound like you have much rotation, though.
Gretchen, (same name as one of my sisters!), Deanna again. I wanted to add that my pony, Mystery, has not been on any medication and is turned out 24 hours. I believe in qualty run-in sheds, no stalls. So that's why I believe the damage is worse because of the bar shoes.
But an incorrect trim, where you don't have correct hairline slope, can also predispose him to founder, The bar shoes came into the picture AFTER he foundered, didn't they? I just think they retarded your progress. Many ponies have very hard feet and need to move on firmer ground to get hoof mechanism going fully. Some of the draft type horses do better on soft ground.
He is worse on one of his fores, don't know why. I have been making him walk at times. My worse problem is the hard frozen ground. I had put boots on him but they rubbed him and he hated them.
Easy Boots, but any chance? Get some Horsneakers. Or even Sabre Sneakers. The difference is drastic. BTW, usually the fores are effected more than the hinds. Don't do a lot of forced exercise until you have trimmed him to get the bottoms of the coffin bones ground-parallel and the toes backed up. If the hairlines are still ground-parallel, the tip of the coffin bone is stabbing straight down into the sole, reducing blood supply and making sole penetration more likely.
My farrier was very open and helped me trim his heels way down. I had already backed up to the white line and rounded the front so there's no pressure on front hoof wall. He lost a lot of weight, but is not in poor condition.
Many times they lose weight during founder. It will come back when he feels better. If he is older, senior horse pellets can help, but don't get so carried away graining him up to get weight on that you refounder him.
I think he couldn't stand long enough to finish his hay, and my other horse was finishing it for him. The third horse, a boarder, was sold. But he's up more, so he should do better. I feed him in the mornings a mix of 1# 12% Legends sweet feed with 1/2 # corn and 1/2 # beet pulp with chopped carrots in warm water. At night he gets 1# sweet feed and 1/2# alfalfa cubes. He gets all the orchard grass hay he wants. I don't want him to lose any more weight. I had cut his feed, but if he loses more I'll see ribs, so I increased it to above. Love any advice. Thanks.
That sounds like an awfully rich diet for a pony. I think he will gain weight when he is hurting less, though. Have seen this before. Dr. Strasser only feeds oats, BTW.
Last week my horse was not walking much and I noticed she was standing around a lot. On Monday, 1/17/00, she could hardly walk, and I thought she was going to fall down. I called the vet, and he came out that morning. He said she was foundering. He took off the nail in the front of her hooves in the front feet and taped styrofoam (2" thick) to the bottom of both front feet and told me to keep her in her stall for at least 2 weeks. He gave me bute and ace to give her until the bottles run out. Wednesday 1/19/00 an abscess broke in her front left foot. Her feet are still taped up. (My horse never showed the text book description of founder--putting the front legs out in front). My concern is now whether to soak her foot in epson salt and the lack of exercise. After reading your article on founder, exercise seems to be the right thing to do. I'm confused. Can you please help me out. Thank you. My Name is Tina and my email address is woots1@hotmail.com.
Gretchen Fathauer's reply--
Exercise IS the right thing--slow hand walking, and free-choice exercise in a herd situation in turnout....IF you have trimmed to get the bottoms of the coffin bones ground-parallel and the toes backed up, etc. An outward indication of the coffin bone bottoms being ground-parallel is that the hairlines, when viewed from the side, slope downwards towards the rear as close as possible to 30 degrees.Soaking feet in Epsom salts is usually done to encourage an abscess to break through quicker; yours already has burst through. We have had faster results soaking with an apple cider vinegar solution, though. You may have an abscess in the other foot, though, and don't assume you will only have abscesses once. You may have more later. It is the body's way to clear out damaged tissue once circulation has been sufficiently restored to enable abscessing. That your mare has abscessed I see as a sign of progress.
Even for well horses, Dr. Strasser advocates getting their feet wet in plain water at least 15 min. a day to simulate how they get wet in watering holes in the wild.
The styrofoam pads will cushion the feet considerably, making the horse more comfortable for the time being. You can also use removable boots. But getting the coffin bones more ground parallel and the toes backed up are your first priorities.
I am not enthusiastic about long-term stalling and drug use. The horse may be in more pain initially doing the approach I am talking about, but will have more structural improvements and avoid drug complications.
In addition to the mechanical benefits of more frequent walking in a turnout situation, I also feel that a horse's morale is considerably better turned out with others. You may be afraid that the other herd members will bully your horse without mercy because she is too sore to fend for herself. That is not always true. Sometimes the herd senses that one of the horses is too sick to fight, and they will not beat up on him, but more or less leave him be. Turning her out with at least one congenial horse will greatly improve her morale.
Great web site! My husband has always agreed that nature's way is the best way when it comes to horses. Lori Beene argos@i40.net
I want to say thank you for your knowledge of chronic laminitis. My mare foundered recently and the horse shoer I was using kept insisting upon using shoes, but they were just making her more sore. I have found a new horseshoer since then and my mare is doing much better, but it is easier knowing that others have conquered this problem. Thank you again. Jessica Reckers. jessicareckers@hotmail.com
Hello, my name is Larissa Daley. I live in Georgia. I own a 15 year old Arab/Thouroughbred Mare. Several years ago she developed Founder in all 4 feet. Medications, Shoes, all temporary, no success. I was battling with myself to have her put down, when I accidently came across your page. I was not looking for anything on Laminitis or Founder; I had given up hope on that. A friend and I had to lay this horse down to trim her feet; she could not take the pain of standing on three legs. She has become so needle-shy we cannot get near her with a syringe. That was how the farriers trimmed her. After one trim, she got up, no limping, no soreness; she can even run again. This mare was barefoot all her life, until she foundered, and the shoes only helped for a short period, but they were murder to put on (sedation) and to remove. She has also never been stalled, free access to shelter, acres of lush Tift 44 pasture, from which I have now removed free access. We hand walk and give her light ground training (large soft roundpen). I have added loose Minerals &Vitamins to her diet of summer hay that I have baled myself. She has a neckcrest--I am not sure of the cause of it. At the hight of the laminitis episodes, she walked very unnaturally and held her head and neck very stiffly. I am so glad and thankful to have come across your information on the web. I will kep you updated on any further developments. I am also ordering Dr. Strasser's book. Thank you so much. Larissa Daley North40Ranch@msn.com
I'm always interested in this subject. I have a gelding that went from 4 Rotated to only 1 Rotated. I still pray for a way to fix the last foot. The coffin bone rotated completely and instead of penetrating the sole, the tip of the coffin bone disentegrated inside the hoof. The horse is a babysitter for all our weanlings and almost totally pain free, but we would pay any amount of money to get him TOTALLY FIXED!
Thanks,
Kayla Wiederholt kayla523@aol.com
P.S. We trim him every 6 weeks but we don't shoe him.
Gretchen FAthauer's reply to Kayla--
That you only trim once every 6 weeks is part of the problem. To correct problems, you need to trim a lot more often, like 2x weekly....or work him enough that his feet never have a chance to grow out because he's getting so much wear. This simulates the constant wear your horse would get in a wild state--the varied terrain and daily high miles maintain wild horses' feet in a constant, short shape. They don't ever have a chance to get long, and this is the ideal situation for all horses.
I urge you to do the phone/photo consultations with Sabine Kells to get faster results.
Once you have had a lot of the tip of the coffin bone eroded away by its being tilted long-term, it will take a long time for this to go back at all. But the first step is to get the bottoms of the coffin bone ground-parallel and keep them that way, to both prevent any more remodelling of the tip and to get a stronger attachment growing down. This will be a long, slow process, but your horse is worth at least trying with! Nova, since he has been getting the trim, has gotten a little more solidity to the fronts of his coffin bones on X-rays, but I hesitate to say that he will ever return to a normal shape enitrely. It is a long, slow process.
How I wish you had had the info on my page in the very beginning! You could have headed off a lot of damage. But then again, I wish I had known 10 years ago what I know today! Max sure would have benefitted, and our story would have been a lot shorter and less eventful!
--Gretchen Fathauer
I find your information dangerous, and misinforming ffor the horse owner. Patrick Reilly Reillyshoe@aol.com
Hello, I am new at this...new to the internet...new to this or any web site. So please be patient with me. I have never sent an e-mail, but I have read through this Guestbook regarding laminitis.
Scroll down, then, and hit "Back to Homepage." Reading Sections 1-18 will answer many of your questions in a more organized fashion than this guestbook.
I have a 10 year old quarter horse gelding i bought about 4 years ago. He is a real sweetie, but I am very concerned about him. He is extremely tender footed and I was told (again I don't know much)that he had foundered before I had purchased him. I had my vet x-ray him when I purchased him and his coffin bone was not rotated. The shoer I was using believed in standing the horse up high in the heel, short in the toe. This horse is tender even with pads on.
Pads can't make up for the tip of the coffin bone slicing through the toe area of the sole. The horse won't get relief until you lower his heels and stop over-shortening the toes, especially the toe area of the sole, which should not be pared. An X-ray of how he was shod would probably show the tip of the coffin bone almost all the way through the sole.
Recently I moved him to another barn and had been watching and listening to another shoer and questioned him to see if he could help my horse. He took one look at him and advised his heels were to high and toe too short for a horse that had foundered. He said his degree on the heel was 55 on one and 54 on another. I know enough to realize my horse had not been shoed properly if the degrees were not the same on each foot.
This is not always the case. If you have differing degrees of roation, it will effect the toe angles. What we need to aim for first is trimming to put the coffin bone bottoms ground parallel...by lowering the heels and bars, and then backing up the toes. There are many other features to the trim, but these are the basics.
This new shoer has trimmed my horse down 1" on one hoof and 1 1/2" on the other, he didnt want to take down his heel all at the same time, said it would be too much for him, which I agreed sounded good to me. He also explained that for a horse who had foundered the toe should be longer. He mentioned the hair line etc. but I am not sure I remember exactly what he said, but it sounded similar to what I have read here tonite. If possible can you advise me on this, explain a little more about this.
If you read Sections 1-18, you will find a bunch of pictures showing this.
I rode him outside about a week and a half after he was shod and still was ouchy, and I haven't had much time this month to get him out to see if he still is. He is turned out every day with other horses and is brought in each day mid to late afternoons, so he is getting some exercise.
Just being out a few hours a day is not the ideal scenario. I know it is hard to find pasture board, in a herd situation, but this is the ideal situation. Long hours of standing still in a stall will be very counter-productive. Rachael Ward's horse, Boogie, despite being crippled for 5 years and having a lot of damage, has only had one abscess. I believe he has been spared a lot more inflammation and abscessing because he is being kept moving all the time in a great natural board situation. Most of us cannot duplicate such a great board situation. But the high miles he has been putting on around the clock have eased and speeded his recovery considerably.
I was also wondering if there is any substance I can use when I go trail riding that would last for a couple of hours, something that would put something between his hoof and the rock. I live in Missouri and most of the areas where we ride is very rocky terrain. Any help/advise you can give me is much appreciated. my name is karen my e mail is karen9@swbell.net
Removable hoof boots are the way to go. They can be removed when the horse is not being worked, but while he is working, they can give more protection than shoes with full pads. Check out my Section 18 for more info on hoof boots. I don't believe that any of the paint-on stuff can even come close to the amount of protection a hoof boot can offer.
Just wanted to let everybody know that my aged mare had recurrent laminitis and ultimately foundered. It was only after we put her on thyroid medication (Thyro-L in this case) that she improved. In the last six years I have had to increase her dose considerably, but she remains sound. I urge anyone dealing with recurrent laminitis to have his/her horse tested for Thyroid level imbalance. Once your horse is on medication, the test administered must be a "Free T4" in order to get accurate results. Good luck!
While there seems to be a connection between laminitis and low thyroid, it is still possible for a horse to be on thyroid medication and still founder if he does not have good hoof shape and hoof mechanism. These mechanical aspects need to be addressed as well.
Thank-you for the valuable information. My 8 yr old 1/2 Arab gelding has foundered at least twice that I know of. It appears to be triggered by obesity and perhaps also cortisone. (I was treating him for "scratches.")
You mean you were treating the "scratches" with cortisone? We always used iodine shampoo for this.
When you fully restore hoof mechanism, some skin problems can correct. Refer back to the part about hoof mechanism preventing excess protein building up instead of being used for hoof wall production.
I don't know where to start with his treatment. Currently I have heart bar shows on him. My x-rays are still with the vet and I don't know his degrees of rotation. Where should I start?
The most crucial part of the treatment is the mechanical aspect--a correct barefoot trim, done often, and constant freedom and movement. This means pulling the shoes and doing the kind of trim I am talking about. It also means hand walking him if constant turnout with other horses is not keeping him walking around a lot. Stall confinement is not OK at all.
I have taken him off his bute/ace remedy. He has been off for about 10 days. Should I be exercising him even if he is sore?
AFTER you have trimmed him correctly, which means getting that 30 degree hairline slope. After this, yes, he should be walking often. Straight lines better than tight turns.
Will snow balling up under his feet cause more stress?
Yes. That is where removable hoof boots can help. I would also use them for hard-frozen ground when the edges of the hoofprints made earlier in mud are frozen and sharp. Getting the trim correct will help considerably with snow balling, however. When the shape is right and there is visible heel spreading with every step, the feet will be more self-cleaning than when shod. Shod feet cannot expand and contract as well as bare feet--IF they are trimmed right. Bare feet that have high bars and heels will not flex like this, and will become contracted.
This web site has given me lots of ideas and most of all hope.
Glad to hear it!
Thank you, Farah FarahLynn@Goplay.com
Charles Ray Hall JHALL@VALLNET.COM
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES AND TRIMMING TECHNIQUES. IT HAS HELPED MY CLIENTS HORSES SO MUCH YOUR HELP IS , ''GREATLY APPRECIATED''
Thank you for the great information and photos. I would like to know if there are any herbs a horse can be give to help with founder? Joan Wienczkowski centrlight@aol.com
While many supplements are helpful, you will not get anywhere without also doing the trim correctly, keeping the horse turned out and moving, etc.--in other words, addressing the mechanical aspects.
Until there is good circulation restored to the feet, how can nutrients and medication even reach the effected areas of the feet if the blood is not able to get them there? Until you restore circulation, you're wasting your money on supplements. Dr. Strasser's book mentions that protein backs up in the body if it is not being properly utilized building new hoof horn at a normal rate when circulation is compromised. This excess protein, she claims, can actually cause problems in other organs. So--for so many reasons, you really need to address restoring circulation through correct hoof shape and plenty of movement as your first priority.
Really informative. I need to study more. John W. Rowlands addw328@aol.com
So very informative, excellent photos, we need more clinics in Canada. hedyedwards@idirect.com
Sabine Kells, the only Strasser-certified hoofcare specialist in N. America at the moment, lives in BC and occasionally gives classes there. Get in touch with her directly.
Sabine Kells
ESHOP Canada
PO Box 44
Qualicum Beach, BC V9K 1S7, Canada
This is one of the best, most informative sites I've ever seen. The information is most interesting because it contradicts many of the views of vets and farriers. I'm going to download and print everything.
We have deshod all eight of our foxhunters and are carefully trimming them weekly. We hope to be able to hunt most or all of them barefoot next August.
You will probably find them to be more smooth and sure-footed after they successfully make the transition to barefootedness. A lot of people are surprised at how much their horses' gaits improve.
We're about to install a hot walker with a path of round stones to toughen up their hooves.
Another cheaper alternative is to have an area between the barn and field that is big round stones, or an area around where the hay is in stone. Xenophen recommended this in his book years ago. For foundered horses, walking in tight circles is not a good thing, though, so I cannot be too enthusiastic about hot-walkers for foundered horses. I am eager to hear how your rocky hot-walker arrangement works for you, though.
Gordon Smith ggsmithmfhl@aol.com Wingina, Virginia.
Ruth Green works for us and trims the horses.
Glad to hear it. Keep us posted on how they do!
Hope you guys can make it to one of the May clinics....dates and locations on my homepage.
I just found this site . I am searching all over to find the best possible " cure " for my horse. He is a 5 year old gelding and I cant imagine how this happened, laminitis. He is in a dirt pen, no change in feed or anything. I orginally thought that he had fallen and bruised a muscle. The vet said "NO". I still think he injured himself some way which brought this on. I believe it is stress related. Anyway, I had heartbars put on my horse, vets request. He is on bute and isox.( 4 grams bute daily and 400 mgs of isox) Until I can get the heartbars off, do you think I should take him off the medication. They are talking about putting him on ulcer medicine also and I am tired of pumping all of this into him. This has been going on for about 10 days. He only has a 100x100 pen but I was going to put deep sand in there, pull his shoes and trim him the way you state. I am a equine massage therapist so I thought a couple of massages a week and some hand walking would be helpful.He has a neighbor but she isnt in the same pen. I keep my horses seperate. What do you think. I'm searching for answers.Thanx!!!! Susan -Slidesmoke@prodigy.net
Compromised hoof mechanism and circulation are at the heart of what foundered him. It did not just happen in thin air. Many of the common triggers will not cause a full-blown founder episode if the horse's coffin bone bottoms are ground-parallel, the heels are not contracted, and he is moving about 24/7. Dr. Strasser feels the number one cause is shoeing or trimming with high heels that tilts the coffin bones down in the front. To fix this, and prevent more problems in the future, you need to trim to restore the coffin bone bottom to a ground-parallel position. X-rays will show you exactly where things stand, and give you an idea how much the heels need to come down, so I recommend them.
Stress CAN trigger laminitis. But if his hoof mechanism were better and he were getting enough exercise, he would have had a better chance of weathering this storm without repercussions.
I agree that aggressively medicating will soon get him a lot sicker. If he gets ulcers inside his mouth, they are likely to be elsewhere in his digestive tract. When this happens, he will be drinking less and less, and the same with eating, with possible colic or kidney failure. I have been hearing sad stories along these lines...
Deep sand is not necessary. Actually, Dr. Strasser has her clinic covered with rubber mats for a firm, but non-concussive surface. Sabine Kells has said that deep sand allows the toes to sink in, which gets the coffin bones too tilted. You can tape high-density foam pads on, or use horse boots. Sabre Sneakers are my recommendation for something cheaper and quickly available. These will enable you to walk the horse elsewhere, too.
Hand walking is extremely useful. The more the better! 6 ten-min. walks are better than one hour walk per day--frequency is key. I know, it's very inconvenient! But the more often you get him moving the better. Heat and soreness will reduce right after a walk....which tells you that walking is doing some good. Horses' feet are not like ours--they can't have full circulation when they are still. They really depend on movement and hoof mechanism to get full circulation. The feet are like 4 auxilliary hearts....they help circulation considerably.
Further, Dr. Strasser's book talks about a lack of circulation in the feet slowing growth of hoof wall. When less protein is being utilized for growing hoof wall, her book talks about how it can back up in the system and cause other problems. You really need to get the horse's hoof mechanism restored and to keep the horse moving for his general health as well, not just his feet. Whatever it takes--keep the horse walking around a lot! Spreading hay in different spots in the pen is one way to encourage them to keep schlepping around....even if it is SLOW schlepping around, it is still valuable. Another horse for company is a big plus and encourages movement as well....preferably an active, pushy sort. Why do you separate your horses, BTW? You only need to grain them separately. They are better off in company, and much happier.
When you trim as I illustrate, you will open up circulation, which will increase pain and enable abscessing. This can be a miserable period, but if you keep him moving, and do long apple cider vinegar and water solution soaks during abscessing periods, it will pass faster. But like many holistic approaches, he will seemingly get worse before he gets better. But if you hang in there, he will get better after the abscesses blow.
I am really happy to hear from someone whose horse is only recently foundered. So often, I don't hear from people until the horse has been languishing for months, and everything else has been tried, including permanent mutilations such as cutting tendons.. If you really get right on this, you can get this horse through it quicker and with less damage.
If he were mine, I would give him a dose of activated charcoal, in addition to backing off drugs, after doing a trim. The same stuff they use in emergency rooms for drug overdoses and poisoning. Vets have it, too. UAA Gel is just one brand, and the one I have used. And average horse needs at a 300 cc dose of this stuff. And possibly a second dose an hour or so later. There are some very real dangers to long-term over-medicating. I would rather see a mechanical approach being used. Correct trimming, soaking and walking at least aren't toxic! And I think massage therapy will make him a lot happier, and probably ease some of the muscular tension arising from holding himself in an unaccustomed stance to ease his painful feet.
--Gretchen Fathauer
I purchased a 3-year-old stallion 02/03/00. He was badly foundered. No care of his hooves had been done for quite a while.
He had slipper toe and his soles were 1-1/2 inch thick, plus he had a bit of seedy toe. I immediately took off a good inch of sole and cut away bad spots after which he was walking so much better (after relieving pressure).
Before, he was walking on his hind legs. After receiving him at my farm, I proceeded lowering the heel and phasing back the toe. Of course, I could only do this with him in a girth and chest hoist; (otherwise, it was too painful for him to let me trim).
Today is 02/17/00 and I am down to a relatively healthy frog and taking out hoof mass in the heel area to promote heel flexibility. Although I have never worked with founder before, I have a natural instinct of what to do for this baby, and 3 days ago I spotted this site and I am very impressed. I am glad there are others who are interested in preserving the horse in a natural way. Without it, a foundered horse would be doomed. I will be sending drawings of a girth and chest harness that anyone can build. It is a must for anyone who owns a foundered horse.
Thank You. Sincerely, David Gorin (304) 924-5897 sarag@neumedia.net
Gretchen Fathauer's reply to David Gorin--
Wow! What an ambitious project! God bless you for trying to help this poor horse! It is a shock to hear of such a young horse so badly neglected and in such bad shape.
You have a very good point about the sling. Please send a photo and some plans.
Keep us informed of his progress. I have my fingers crossed for you both!
--Gretchen Fathauer
Click here for sling plans, sling for sale, and update on David's horse
Great web site. Thanks for putting it together. Pat Bishop pbishop@ferno.com
Hello again Gretchen. I would like to thank you for your help and web page. As I mentioned in my original letter, when I called my vet out for my horse, Cinnamon Girl, and he told me she had foundered, he left me with the thought that if the bone comes through the sole, I may want to think about putting her down. This was very hard for me to accept and after searching the web, I was really comforted and my spirits were raised by reading your site. Well, I followed your instructions, and even though my horse did NOT want to walk I made sure she did. After 2 weeks from the day the vet was out she was off all drugs and 2 weeks after that she was walking pretty good on her own. I opened her up to the rest of her field and can't tell you how great it was to see her trot and do a little run -- for the first time in 5 weeks. I couldn't take my eyes off her and watched her for hours outside while it was snowing. My husband and I are trimming her feet 2 to 3 times a week trying to get her heels lower and keep referring back to your articles. With all the snow it's making trimming her feet easier. My husband says her hooves are softer and easy to trim. I can't emphasize how uplifting it was just reading your article. Your method of treating hooves is sound and my Cinnamon Girl is proof enough for me. I can write volumes, but I'll stop here. Thanks again. Tina woots1@hotmail.com
My husband is a farrier and has had success treating laminitic and foundered horses with shoes and without...we have an extremely troubling case we are working on right now (NOTHING works) and I will have the vet check out your page and Dr. Strasser's work. The frequent trims make so much sense, but it is next to impossible to convince clients that Nelson should be back in 3-4 weeks (let alone 1-2x/week!) and I hate to encourage having them do it themselves because either they simply won't or they'll screw it up! We will get a copy of Dr. Strasser's book and watch your website for updates! It took a lot of time to do, I am sure!
Maggie Mieske mmieske@netonecom.net www.netonecom.net/~mmieske
Gretchen Fathauer's reply to Maggie Mieske--
It really is a tough situation trying to help horses whose owners will not follow through. Afraid I have no answers on that!
This is an excellent site! I've learned so much info. I needed help with my foundered horse and now I have somewhere to turn. Finally someone who gives hope instead of doom and gloom. THANK YOU!!
Debbie McRoberts Wade@McRoberts.com
Great site and great information. I just acquired a badly foundered mare who is 9 years old and has 8 inch long front hooves. I am going to apply this method and attend the nearest clinic this May in Austin. I do, however, want to find out how I can send photos to you to help me on the trimming. Right now I am not sure where to begin except to get the length off the hooves. I also have no background on the mare and don't know the cause of the founder. She is on pasture right now and seems to be doing fine. She walks very slowly....any help is appreciated. Amy Knussmann amyk@us.ibm.com or chappie@austin.rr.com
Gretchen Fathauer's update--
Fortunately, Amy has already gotten in touch with Sabine Kells, and we have also put her in touch with some people in her area who can help. It may be a little scary for a while to take on such a project, but Amy has rescued a number of horses already, and I feel hopeful about this mare! I think it is wonderful that she has rescued a number of horses already, and will do what I can to help her through this.
Much of it certainly makes sense. Have been shoeing in Norhtern VA for 25 yrs. I haven't been too far off the mark with keeping the heels "pushed back" and the break over point between an inch and an inch and a half. I never have cracks and seldom see founder in the horses that stay on a regular schedule. Most signs of "navicular" disappear w/i a few shoeings if the owner will keep the horse in moderate, consistent exercise; often even if they will not. I am having tremendous success with the Natural Ballance shoes.
John LaRocque john.larocque@att.net.com
Dear Gretchen,
I'm very excited about your site. For the first time I am seeing confirmed what I have long suspected is damage caused by long heels, long, dished toes and lateral imbalance. I have a 21-year-old Morgan who has been experiencing laminitis attacks since he was about 7. I used to walk him on soft ground and pull his shoes at first. Then the vets told me the correct treatment was stall rest and soft bedding. I followed their suggestions, with the result that he experienced severe rotation. I have been attempting to help him recover for two years. I noticed that he would relapse if I went away on vacation, usually at Christmas when I'd go to Maine to see my family.
They never were able to confirm what the cause was. I have years of x-rays, tests for Lyme disease, Cushing's syndrome, have stopped all vaccinations, tried heartbars, dental impression material, do fecal tests now before worming, tried Sabre Sneakers, Easy boots, Davis boots, confinement, dry-lotting.
Now I am certain it is a largely mechanical problem stemming from incorrect trimming which was exacerbated by the decreased exercise he got when I was away. I also noticed laminitic reactions to vaccines and to his last worming. I have felt for years that he was "walking a tightrope" and that the trigger was anything that added a little stress like new hay, or decreased activity. This was reflected in diarrhea and soreness, and was helped if I walked him.
I have given him an initial trim lowering his heels to more approximate a 30 degree hairline, although his foot is still too long. He was immediately more comfortable. Also, I only had a rasp, no foot knife. Now I have a foot knife and enough information to work with my farrier to trim him better. I will be bringing him home in the next three weeks to my new barn where he will be turned out 24 hours a day on two acres with two other horses. I am laboriously printing all these site sections for my farrier and vet, not because I will change my mind if they don't agree, but because it may help someone else.
Bless you and the other participants for finally providing enough information so that I can help my baby.
I'll let you know how he does and provide photos as soon as I can get them.
Gerry Nichols gnichols@oasisonline.com
This site has been life saver for our mare--I refer to it regularly for help--is it common for the horse to have good days and bad days? Some days our mare is much better, others she may come up lame on one foot. She is a 6-yr.-old TW--slightly overweight--crested neck, etc. This past Oct. she suddenly came up lame; our only guess was either acorns or persimmons caused the founder. Your site has helped me with treatment and has probably saved my other stock from the same problems. My question is, is it common for there to be good days and bad days--last week I trimmed and she was much better that same day, even to the point of riding, but within 3 days she came up lame on one foot, very frustrating. Since the original bout she has tight new growth of outer wall nearly half-way down her hoof, and at times seems to be on the mend, but we have had several small setbacks. Early on trimming I noticed a small pocket of dried blood near the white line. Could I be dealing with another problem? This mare was on straight pasture at the time her founder started and is in the field w/8 horses roaming 250 acres, but I check them daily, and no other horses have had this problem. The local vet is leaning toward bar shoes, but I have told him I don't want her shod. He even mentioned leaving her heels high and cutting the toe. If he would only look at your site I think he would change his methods. Thanks for all the great info and I hope your method works on my mare. I read your site several times and probably spent several days researching this on the web. Yours makes sense! Thanks again,
John Duchaine, jduchain @yahoo.com
Gretchen Fathauer's reply--
Yes, it is common to have ups and downs. When one foot suddenly comes up sore, it is usually an abscess. Soak long and often in water and apple cider vinegar to draw it out quicker. This is a little slower, but safer, than having someone get in there and carve up the sole in an attempt to dig out an abscess. The recovery time is actually quicker. Re-growing sole that has been carved out in the toe area can take months. You can also damage the sole corium by carving out too deeply in the toe.
If you vet would just study X-rays and hoof cross-sections, he would see how illogical heel wedges are for foundered horses. Further, horses trimmed or shod very stumpy are short-strided, rough-gaited and clumsy. They are more likely to become navicular.
....Needless to say, stick to your guns!
Gretchen Fathauer
Hi! Great info on this web site. Have an 18-yr.-old mare a tad heavy, but with a big crest. Never had any problems ever with her. No change in diet and fed sweet feed, and grass hay. Only horse owners know the pain we go through with our horses when they are in pain! So far just treating her with 2 grams a day with bute. For 1 week, bute and banamine. Had her x-rayed and she rotated over 5 degrees. Such a good girl--hate to see her go through this. Have her on only grass hay now and 1 cup of grain morn and night. I have the farrier coming out to trim her according to what the x-rays say, so hope this helps relieve her pain somewhat. She is out all day, but stalled at night. She doesn't move around more than she has to, but seems to be putting a lot more pressure on both fronts and does not bob her head up anymore when she steps down on the sore feet. Have a gelding out in the back pasture that chases her, and I'm scared to put her back there with him being this sore, but reading what you suggest maybe I should. I am afraid of more damage. DMG and MSM has been recommended to give her? There is also a Bio-Meth powder out that contains dl-methionine and biotin that I may try???? Defiately bookmarked this page. Lots of great info Thanks Jan Bitten janiceb@mi-mls.com
She probably had the risk factor of a tilted coffin bone, which Dr. Strasser thinks is the number one culprit. You might have prevented a lot of this by trimming to get the bottoms of her coffin bones ground-parallel. This means LOW heels, and backed-up toes.
After you get her trimmed to get that 30 degree hairline slope, etc., the more she moves, the better. Stalling overnight is a bad idea. That horse who chases her is probably going to be a plus. The biotin, etc., are all good, but no supplements can do what correct trimming and constant walking around in 24 hour freedom and company will do. When my horse was sore, a short walk always reduced heat and inflammation. This means that the more you KEEP her walking, even if very slowly, the more she will work out inflammation rather than let it build up. Gather your courage and trim her and turn her out! I hope you back off the drugs soon. Long term, there can be serious side-effects.
Gretchen, Just an update on my Morgan that foundered before Thanksgiving. He has been shoeless and trimmed to the thirty degree hairline for two months now and is doing much better. He will place all four feet on the ground with weight and although he walks slowly, he doesn't hesitate to step on each foot equally. The "lamellar wedge" is now being trimmed off at each trim my farrier does at three week intervals. I am rasping him twice a week. I am convinced that the thirteen years of shoes and the "corrective" shoeing that was done precipitated this. I know it will take a lot of time to heal the damage. However, I am thrilled to report that he has lost all of the crestiness in his neck and the other odd fat pads he had just prior to foundering. The only feed change was to substitute one pound of oats per day instead of one pound of pellets. I also added free choice minerals from ABC for all my horses and included magnesium in those supplements. Not only do all my horses look better, but the foundered one has also almost lost all of the large bony lump between his eyes he had acquired that no one could diagnose. (That had appeared about a year ago in addition to the fat bulges).
I will be attending Dr. Strasser's clinic in Columbus, Ohio in May. Would very much appreciate being able to meet you and thank you in person for this website.
Dawn Wagstaff kingdom@izzy.net
Gretchen Fathauer's reply to Dawn--
Looking forward to seeing you at the Columbus clinic, too. I will be helping out the clinic host, as well as participating.
Dear Gretchen,
Re: a substitute for bute, ace and banamine... I migrated my severely rotated Morgan from bute and banamine to No-Bute (contains organically grown Devil's Claw), which is supposedly good for the gastro-intestinal tract. Because I'm such a chicken I decreased the bute as I increased the Devil's Claw. He has been off bute for about 8 months and continues to improve although he relapsed from lack of exercise when I was away over Christmas. The dose is 40 ml of No-bute = 1 gram of bute. I was splitting the dose, which is a liquid) between his two feeds of a little grain (he has free-choice timothy). He was getting 4 grams of bute a day. I compared Bute-less, Wendals Herbs Devil's Claw and No-Bute. No-bute was the only one which contained no other ingredients and was organically grown. He also will eat it eagerly vs. having to force-feed him bute. He continues to improve, and I continue to reduce the No-bute. It's available from Claire Norcross at www.emeraldvalleybotanical.com tel number 1-888-638-8262.
It helped Apollo and provides some pain relief when it is really needed. Also they came out with a new product which is Devil's Claw, Vitamin C and MSM. I have just tried it and will order more.
Hopes this helps someone else;
Gerry Nichols
If you keep on trimming correctly, keeping the horse moving with 24 hour turn-out in a herd and hand-walking if needed, you should not need this sort of thing too long.
Gretchen, just to give an update. I bit the bullet and had my mare trimmed down very far. We got about 25 degrees on the hairline and 54 degrees on front toes. Cut off about 4 inches of heel on both front feet, etc. She is still up and walking miles everyday. Not near as sore as I had expected her to be. I am hoping to be riding her in 2 months. She is on pasture and has lots of playmates--makes a huge difference in her personality. Now I am doing this to all my stock to avoid future problems. You are a life saver and I am so glad I did this method first instead of wasting years on western medicine and fancy shoeing. I also have not resorted to any medications at all. My question, after say a year of this trim, if x-rayed, should the rotation be less than when first x-rayed? I would assume a big difference. Summer thanks you, too (the mare). Amy amyk@us.ibm.com
Gretchen Fathauer's reply to Amy--
For a mare with a lot of rotation, 54 degree toes are high in the front. You either took too much off the bottom of the front of the foot, or not enough off the heels. Boy, 4" off the heels! I hope you share before and after photos! You want 30 degree hairlines if at all feasible.
When circulation returns, she may come up sore later. I expect her to. Spreading the heels is an ouchy proposition. EXPECT abscessing. But I bet you saw her walk out longer-strided and smoother immediately--this is something that will remain with the trim, with the exception of ouchy abscessing periods
Start soaking her feet daily, and keep it up. This simulates the way they would normally get wet in watering holes in the wild. If she gets real sore, especially if it suddenly comes up on one side, you probably have an abscess, and long soaks in water and apple cider vinegar will draw it out faster.
Try not to set arbitrary deadlines for riding. Play it by ear. Horsneakers will enable you to do it sooner, though, That she is walking a lot and outside with a herd will be a great plus.
If you stick with this, I would indeed expect less rotation in a year. It would be good to take X-rays now, though, to check if the bottoms of the coffin bones are ground-parallel. If not, the heels need to come down, or more sole needs to build up in the toe area. Having current X-rays will provide a good comparison for her later progress.
Keep me posted!
Thank you so much for your Web Site! I am a 14-year-old boy who found your site as I researched Laminitis for my Science Fair project. We used my Mom's 24-year-old mare, Dusty, for our horse. Dusty foundered originally when she was seven, and it has been a tough battle ever since to try and help her laminitis. Many people have told us to put her down, but we kept searching, hoping to find a cure. I wanted my project to help her . With the help of your web site we now have hope!! We modified her diet, helped her lose weight, added magnesium supplements, and of course started the Strasser trim. We have a ways to go yet, getting the hang of the proper trimming technique and keeping the horse on her diet this summer when the green grass comes back, but for the first time in years we feel that there is hope. Our vet says with the work we have done we have stabilized her laminitis!! I'm sure we will be in contact again with many questions and such as we progress with Dusty's treatment, for this will be an ongoing process. Thank you so much for giving so many desperate horse owners HOPE!! And Dusty thanks you too.
Jacob Eshelman Future Veterinarian jcorriente@montana.com
Glad to hear this! We need more progressive vets out there. (I also put Jacob in touch with some other horse owners doing this approach.)
Thank you for the response. I have the farrier coming out tomorrow and will work closely with him to get her feet corrected. Found a replacement for Bute called equi-spirin. It is buffered aspirin and is not supposed to have the side effects of Bute. Ever hear of it??
Aspirin can also cause stomach ulcers in many species, especially when taken on an empty stomach. Buffered or not. While at a shareholder's meeting at Abbott Laboratories, I saw photos of mouse stomachs--normal, and after taking aspirin on an empty stomach--which were scary images, to say the least! Constant walking will do a better job of keeping heat and soreness down, without the bad side effects of drugs. Plus more activity round the clock will have many other benefits.
I plan on letting her out with the gelding after her feet are trimmed and heels lowered so he can get her moving.
Good!
Do they always abcess and will I have this to look forward too??
It is a common sequel to laminitis. Probably you will have some.
Have taken quite a bit of weight off her and am going to try rolled oats with vitamins and see how she does on that vs. Omelene 100/sweet feed mix. She is not eating when she is turned out, but eats at night in the stall, for it is right there. She has a large stall and can move freely there and she loves laying down in the stall at night.
No!!! Do not confine her to a stall at night! Laying down for hours will allow pain and inflammation to increase, and circulation to be reduced. Even overnight stalling is not OK. You want her out and walking around 24/7. Just because it is natural for us to lie down for 8 hours does not mean it is natural for a horse. In nature they are schlepping around grazing most of the time, and rarely lie down very long. Their feet depend on constant movement. So do their hearts, as hoof mechanism in the feet assists the heart in circulating the blood. Our feet do not depend on walking to maintain circulation, like theirs do. A horse laying down too long stresses every organ in his body. A horse cast in a stall can die during the same number of hours we would normally be sleeping comfortably. If you grain her in a stall, fine, but as soon as they finish their grain, turn them out again. They should have constant free access to shelter, but not be shut in. In nature, horses prefer to rest out in the open, where they can make a fast getaway should a predator show up. In the backs of their minds, when trapped in a stall, they always know that if a predator were to show up, they would have nowhere to run to. This creates a less restful frame of mind. Give this horse her freedom! She will get better faster, and be happier as well.
Smart mare. Won't take any meds in her feed so she loves apples. I cut one in 4 and put her pill in the center of a piece, then feed her the apple. Works great. Thank you again. Jan janiceb@mi-mls.com
Medicines and supplements are really less important than the mechanical approach--frequent, correct trims and constant movement.
Hi. Just had the farrier out. He suggested having a hyperthyroidism test for he has been seeing more and more of this in the "easy keepers." Let her out with the gelding, and he ran and kicked and bit her so bad it took both of us to get her out of there, and the farrier didn't like that so soon after she hasn't been moving much for 3 weeks. I know you said to let her out with him, but he is mean, and she kept stumbling and now can't hardly walk at all. I beleive I will just put her on a rope and walk her a few times a day till she shows more improvement before I let her out there again with that butt head. The farrier lowered her heels and cut a lot of the front of the foot off. We will possibly try bar shoes this summer depending on what farrier thinks. He is one of the best and works a lot on foundered horses at clinics. Matt Johnstone is his name. Thanks again for your time and your web site. Am passing it on to all my horse friends Jan janiceb@mi-mls.com
Gretchen Fathauer's reply--
If you are going to try to do the trim, but want to stick with stall confinement and continued drug use, it will not work. Even if you do a few hand-walking sessions a day, you cannot possibly hand walk her often enough to duplicate how often she would be moving in a herd life situation. Maybe she needs to be turned out with a more compatible horse, but she does need turnout 24/7 for this to work. If another horse is not with her, she at least needs her hay to be put in different locations, to motivate her to move more often, and more frequent hand walking. Standing still for hours on end, which is inevitable in a stall, will allow her to have heat and soreness build up. Constant movement will help reduce heat and soreness.
She probably was stumbling because trimming her to spread her heels will get them sore, so she was trying to stay off her heels. This is an unfortunate part of the process of spreading contracted heels, at least in the beginning. The Strasser trim is designed to spread contracted heels. If you are unwilling to go through this, which my site and Dr. Strasser's book both warn about, then don't attempt to do the trim at all. To quote Dr. Strasser's book, "A Lifetime of Soundness"--
| Dr. Strasser on opening contracted
hooves: "....during the treatment of contracted hooves, several aspects must be considered, many of which are similar to the transition from shod to barefoot, already discussed earlier. These include discomfort when circulation first returns to the hoof due to a restored hoof mechanism (like numb fingers from cold warming up again), sensitivity to point pressure (since the sole must be kept fairly thin to facilitate un-contraction), pain from the deformed lateral cartilages straightening out, some degree of inflammation (increased circulation necessary for normal healing) and an accompanying sensitivity to concussion, etc. It must also be understood that movement (on whatever ground the horse can tolerate) is vital to the reversal of contraction, especially during times of inflammation. Shutting a horse up in a stall not only delays healing, but can cause stocking up, inflammation, laminitis, etc. If natural living conditions are not possible, an attempt to open a contracted hoof should not be made. Nor should it be attempted without proper terrain. A horse with contracted hooves must have solid [but non-concussive] ground, and should not be moved any faster than a walk for at least 2-3 weeks. Hoof boots are good protection during the initial phase. Hoof abscesses must be expected within the first weeks to 2 years in most horses with any degree of contraction. These abscesses are not the result of puncture wounds or infections, but rather are the body's natural way of removing dead tissue (or tissue damaged beyond repair.) Movement is vital for an abscess to exit as quickly as possible, and to prevent swelling of the lower leg." [She then mentions soaking and poultices to speed drawing out abscesses.] ....Coffin bone deformation, often present if the hoof was contracted.........for a long time.........presents a very difficult and long-term rehabilitation, requiring up to 2 years until the hoof is completely restored to its normal shape. Laminitis, coffin bone rotation and/or protrusion may be expected if the contraction is severe and has been present for a long time, if the corium of the entire wall had had insufficient circulation for a long time, and the coffin bone suspension is greatly deteriorated. The time factor in reversing contraction is extremely unpredictable, [taking just weeks or many months]. If the owner is not willing to give the horse natural living conditions and reasonable time in which to heal, reversing contraction should not be attempted." |
If you want to go with bar shoes, stall confinement and drug use, I hope you don't try to do the trim at all, or tell anyone else you are doing the trim, as the results will not be good. This method depends on the entire program being done, not just borrowing parts of the method and leaving the rest. If this mare is not kept moving a lot, you will have more pain and heat in her feet than you would if she were kept moving often.
If you want to go with stall confinement and continued drug use, and are looking for quick relief, then by all means, have bar shoes with heel wedges put on now. (I at least hope no one talks you into cutting the tendons as well, though.) She will be more numb in bar shoes with her heels wedged up, which will seem like she is in less pain. But a year from now, you will not have made much progress in terms of structural improvements. However, it IS a quick fix...for a while.
I'm so glad to find additional information about founder. Although my vet and farrier did a good job, it was difficult getting information from them. I have a 4-year-old Welsh pony that I must have fed too much, because he foundered about 1-1/2 years ago. I'm not sure if this was the only cause, because his companion, an older mare, became ill with cancer and we had to put her down. I wonder if depression didn't cause the founder, too. I was lucky that I did not get the wrong information from my vet. He did give him Bute just once, but told me to leave him barefoot and trim his feet often. He never said how to trim him, but my farrier must have done a good job, because he never showed any signs of pain again, and although we didn't do x-rays, my vet feels that his coffin bones never rotated significantly to cause severe damage. His hoof has all but grown new, but I do have problems with thrush.
If you have problems with thrush, chances are you have recessed frogs, buried between high heels and bars. When you consistently keep these trimmed as in the photos, you will resolve thrush. Another thought Jaime Jackson has had--it is possible that farrier's tools that have not been disinfected in between horses could spread infection, too. However, if you get that frog more exposed and in contact with the ground, you should clear up thrush.
One reason ponies are more founder-prone is that they evolved in conditions where vegatation was sparse (naturally lean diet) and the terrain was hard and rocky. They consequently have harder hooves than, say, draft-type horses. These hard hooves need firmer ground, in addition to frequent, correct trims, to enable hoof mechanism.
The stress of losing a beloved friend could also have factored into why the pony foundered, though. Horses hate being alone. It is totally unnatural for them, and very stressful. Being prey animals, they are very dependent on the safety of the herd, and they are intensely social.
Next time my farrier comes out I will check to be sure he is trimming the heels well. He does get exercise, but could probably use a companion. Maybe we can buy another horse in the near future. I grew up with horses, but never really learned that much about them, but all the horses I grew up with were never overfed and spoiled because we did not have the money to spoil with kindness. After reading your article I have realized how dangerous it can be to treat your horses like a child and thinking they need more food when it's cold or keeping them in their stalls to keep them clean. The best horse management plan is the natural way and I hope to apply what I have learned as soon as possible. I do have a few questions.
I notice that mine need more hay in cold weather. I stick with mainly lst cutting grass hay that is not very rich, though. The other thing I do for them in cold weather is provide warm water. This has many benefits. The stock tank heaters keep the water warmed to around 50 degrees, which makes it much more appealing to them. This encourages more drinking. I have heard of many horses having colic because their buckets were frozen over most of the time, so they weren't drinking enough. Further, drinking water a little warmer, rather than almost ice cold, means they will need fewer calories to warm the water when it gets inside them. On the subject of cold, Dr. Strasser goes into an interesting discussion in her book about this. She explains WHY horses kept outdoors with no blankets have fewer colds, something that I have observed, but did not know why it happened.
1. My pony has about 6 acres to roam that during the spring and summer months; the grass is very rich. I made a large padock off his stall so he can have room to move, but not have all that grass to eat. Do you think this is OK?
Yes. He will be less likely to grass founder if he has constantly maintained hoof mechanism and he is getting a lot of miles on him every day. However, you cannot let him gorge. As I mentioned before, ponies evolved in habitats with sparse vegetation. They don't need a lot of rich forage. If he is getting this, he needs to be getting enough exercise to keep his weight down.
Or should I just let him eat grass? The only problem is that his stomach blows up and he is bigger sideways than he is tall. He tends to be on the lazy side, but that might be because he is alone.
2. I have read that giving your horse digestive enzymes helps him absorb his food and digest grass better, thus eliminating the big belly. Do you know if this is true?
The real solution in his case is to work him more. :-)
3. I currently feed my pony a 10% sweet feed with only a 2.5% fat. I add a feed stabilizer that has extra vitamins and minerals to make sure he gets what he needs. I feed him about 4 handfuls a day with about 4 slices of grass hay. He weighs about 620lbs and is about 13.5 hands high. Do you think this is good management?
Well, if he is looking really fat, what he needs, rather than less feed, is more exercise. I know, I know--it's hard to arrange! Many ponies can do just fine with no grain at all. I do understand about wanting some way to get vitamins into him, though.
Thank you for all the information. Even though I now see how lucky I was with my foundered horse, it's nice to get answers anyway.
If you still have thrush, you probably still have heel contraction, so you are not fully out of the woods yet. I think it's great you are considering getting another horse, though. These guys really need companionship.
Yolanda Moyer
yolandamoyer@aol.com
Hi, I do know that you are trying to help me and I do sooo appreciate it. I only stall her at night for she doesn't walk anyway.
That's one reason she is more sore. When Max was bad, I felt an obvious decrease in heat right after hand walking him, and soreness worked out. The tricky part is to KEEP them walking when you are not there. That is why herd life is so helpful. If they are standing or lying down idle for hours, they will be a lot more sore than if they are moving around. Rachael Ward's Boogie had been really messed up for 4-5 years--LOTS of damage. If he had been confined, he would have had it much rougher. All the movement he is getting is keeping him feeling better. He has had less abscessing than I would expect from a horse with as much damage, and I believe all the activity he has been getting is part of the reason why.
I just sent your page to my farrier and maybe I missed your response about hy-perthyroisdism???
Testing for low thyroid is a good idea.
So any walking will help, but it took 2 of us to move her tonight after the gelding ran her soo hard, and all her muscles were contracting. Now maybe I should give you some insight on me--I don't know do diddly about horses, except for what I read. I was 43 before I got her and she is such a dream. Do you have a fund to help research that I may conribute too?
Dr. Strasser could certainly use some contributions to further her work. The address is on my site.
You would have had to been there to see this gelding chase and bite her and draw blood and kick the crap out of her in a matter of less than 5 minutes, and after that she couldn't even walk, whereas when her heels were dropped she did just fine.
He may be the wrong pasture mate for her, unfortunately.
Many times, when the heels are first lowered, they don't come up sore immediately, but it comes with returning circulation. In her case, I think she was trying to run prematurely as well. She should be just walking, mainly, as the faster gaits have more concussion, which she is not ready for yet.
I do believe now she is sore all over from not moving for awhile.
Just like you might be from going back to an exercise class after being idle for a while.
Now about leaving her out ??? Don't make no never mind, for she don't move anyway. That is why I said I should walk her and make her move. Now if need be I can do that many times a day or hire someone to do it, but I won't subject her till she feels better to the jerk gelding.
Well, by all means, put hay in different locations in her lot, and the water elsewhere, which will keep her moving around more if she is alone. Maybe she will have to be in a different lot. You can rig up electric fencing with a minimum of work or expense, and it works well. The more often you walk her, the better. But a congenial horse would be a big help.
What is you say on pepcid or tagament etc for the meds????? I am getting ready to take her off bute, for I don't like it, and put her on aspirin, but feel she should have some coating in her stomach, for she don't care where her hay is, she won't go to it. But in her stall she eats good. Then I let her out. Again thank you very, very much, for I am a novice. I did email my farrier this site.
Pepcid and tagament help reduce the likelihood of stomach irritation when using bute, banamine and aspirin. However, they are not magic bullets. If you can reduce inflammation in her feet more with movement than with drugs, it is safer. If she gets hungry, she will hunt up piles of hay here and there. I would lead her to them to show her that feed is scattered about. She is used to getting it all in her stall at this point. Sounds like you will have to be doing a lot of hand walking for a while. Hoof boots or even taping on pads will make her more comfortable in the early stages when she is more sore. For more details, read Dr. Strasser's book.
Thank you again Jan janiceb@mi-mls.com
Do you think the heels can be lowered so much as to cause the flexor tendon to cause additional rotation?
That is a popular idea, but you need to look at the increased leverage on the tendon each time a high, under-run heel sinks down momentarily with each step. This also puts excessive pull on the flexor tendon. Further, having the heels higher overstresses the toe laminae, making rotation more likely.
In studying drawings I feel the tendon will stretch and if heels are left too long the tendon may even contract and cause other problems.
True.
My TWH mare has 3 degrees right and 7 degrees left; can I expect to regain trail riding her?
Yes. Shelly Kayser's Sugar had 11-12 degrees on both feet, and they have been taking her on 3-4 hour rides lately....but with boots, for now.
She foundered in Oct. 99, and has approx. half of her hoof wall grown out and looks very good, but I didn't locate your site and start practicing the trimming on her until 30 days ago. Though she has progressed a lot just in that short of time. Starting out I was reluctant to cut so much, but have since gotten her heels low and toes cut back, though after reading you site again today I still need to lower the heels some more. Vet suggested to leave bars high and lower hoof wall, didn't seem right, what do you think?
NO!!! You will get the horse really sore and bruised. You will prevent hoof mechanism. I visited a horse last fall like this. The owner was religiously lowering the heel walls, but a straight edge rocked over the bars and frog. The mare was barely ambulatory. I told the owner that this had to be at least flush in the back of the frog, and actually a bit recessed in relationship to the walls further ahead. (I use a 6" ruler, going from side to side, to check for this and for how much concavity there is in the area directly in front of the tip of the frog, which on an average foot should be 1/4-3/8" deep.) This mare had sole penetration, too. Now she is being ridden again in Horsneakers, and doing better dressage movements in the field barefoot than before she foundered. She is also running and whirling out there. But I admit right now that there was a pretty discouraging period for a while before abscesses came out. Still not OK on gravel yet, but pretty sound on softer ground.
Your site is going to save my stock from a life time of hoof problems. Also a note for other readers, when buying your nippers and files remember you get what you pay for--good equipment make the task much easier and you do a better job. Thanks for all the information and I know I will be back. John Duchaine jduchain@yahoo.com
Yes, usable nippers are more like $90 and up, not $20. $20 nippers are only useful for building rehab projects, when you pull finishing nails through the back of woodwork you are have pulled off and are going to refinish and reuse. The useable hoof angle protractors are more like $40-50, not those useless ones for $20. I use a German hoof knife I bought from Sabine Kells, that takes a sharper edge. Some people are using those little Dremel grinders from the hardware store--using the high-speed cutter attachments for soles and bars, and the chain saw sharpening attachment for sharpening hoof knives. I have had some people ask where they can get smaller, lighter tools for women. The truth is, the weaker you are, the sharper your tools need to be. I give professional farrier tool sources, and do not advise pickiing up tools at the tack shop or feed store, which are usually cheap, dull and useless.
Gretchen, I originally contacted you in February and your comments and contact with Sue Syme have given me a tremendous amount of hope and support. We have removed my Arabian mare from shoes and my farrier is trying very hard to help me trim her feet using the Strasser method. He comes every 3 &1/2 weeks and gives her an aggressive trim and I am working on her feet twice weekly in between trims to maintain them. She gets both feet soaked in cider vinegar for 10-15 minutes apiece each day and this has worked wonderfully!! Before I started this her feet stank and oozed pus. She has no odor at all now!
You can back off on the vinegar once the abscesses are cleared, but daily soaks in plain water need to be kept up indefinitely if she doesn't get exposed to water any other way during the day.
I have stopped the isoxuprine and she will be completely weaned off the non-steriodal anti-inflammatory Arquel in 1 more week.
Good. Arquel is also tough on the digestive tract.
I've also increased her exercise by hand walking her as frequently as I am able. She was already in a natural environment with 24 hour a day turnout and has always moved around even at her most lame. To all skeptics out there--I am thrilled with the results I am seeing!! She was sore for about 36 hours after the initial trim my farrier did, but she has steadily improved since I have decreased her pain medicine and started the walks. She is chasing the other horse around like crazy and has become the obnoxious Arabian she used to be again. Her soles have a long way to go because she is missing sole in the toe areas of both feet, but I believe this will grow in if we continue our efforts to lower her heels and keep her toes short. I was wondering if I could send some pictures to you, Gretchen, and you would critique them so we can improve our trims even more. Also anyone can e-mail me who needs support or just someone to commiserate with!! Also, I would be glad for you to put Metreyna's story on your web site to help other people realize what great results they can see with this program. I know we have a long way to go and we're making mistakes, but without your website I believe Teeny's sole would have been penetrated by the coffin bone a month ago!! Laura Rider, DVM curlydoc@hotmail.com
I believe your private email to me mentioned old sole peeling off in a layer, with new sole growing in underneath. This is the result of a large solar abscess. New sole eventually fills in. I hesitate to predict how long it will take, but I would say that the more she moves, the faster she will stimulate sole growth and callousing, etc.
I still feel that you would do better to at least do an abbreviated, informal consultation with Sabine Kells. I can look at your photos and do my best, but I feel you would get better answers from Sabine, who is my teacher.
I hope you share your experiences with some of your fellow vets! I hope you will be able to attend one of the Strasser hoof trimming clinics in May--I think you will find it quite valuable.
Hi Just an update on Dolly, my mare. Today is only 2 days since the gelding beat her up so badly and she seems very, very much improved. Taking her down to 1 bute a day for a few more days, then taking her off all meds to see how she is. She is walking around quite a bit today. She usually never stands still in one place very long when she is well--she loves to walk around all the time. She is not hardly lying down at all and the stress seems to be much better in her face. Am having the vet out Tues. to to a hypothyroidism test on her and maybe he has some insight to why the gelding acted like he wanted to kill her. Thank you for your time. Jan janiceb@mi-mls.com
Gretchen Fathauer's reply to Jan--
You might consult Jaime Jackson on the pasture warfare issue. He has studied wild horse society quite a bit, and is an expert horseman. His office is 870-743-4603.
I'll take a stab at it now, though. The gelding wanted to become the undisputed boss. Did she boss him around when she was well? Her being sore may have been his opportunity to become the boss. Once the new social order solidifies, things would probably calm down. If they were mine, I would be in the pasture with a buggy whip when they are re-introduced, and I would chase the gelding every time he attacks her. This is a tough, time-consuming job, but will have the added benefit of him seeing me as the pasture boss, which comes in handy under saddle. www.amazon.com carries a great tape, "Liberty Training" by Carolyn Resnick, showing some of the neat things you can do with this. She starts all her horses without tack in an enclosure. She chases them when they are not walking with her. Soon they are following around like dogs--well-trained dogs, that is. If not, they get chased every time they leave. A Liberty Training session with him when you turn them out together, and right before, too, might be better, to get his mind on something other than lording it over her.
Beautifully written. I have four horses that have always been barefoot, and a fifth that has been recovering from a lifetime of shoes and improper trims for the past eighteen months. (His previous owner would never have believed he could be ridden without shoes because he was so tender-footed.)
I am fortunate to have an exceptional farrier, and fortunate, too, perhaps that I didn't have the pocketbook to shoe all of these creatures, so, we did the best we could do barefoot. I have been told by a number of trainers recently that I've done the right thing. My horses have been exceptionally sound over the eight years I have owned them and it is gratifying to see the new spark and confidence in the footfalls of the new horse as his feet have returned to health.
Thanks for creating such an informative web page!
Linda Forest linda@forestassociates.net
Thanks so much for your efforts in this fabulous web site, and for maintaining it.. Much good is coming to us all. Hope to meet you this summer at Dr. Strasser's clinics. This is great fun. Good things, Joan Adams: silverbear@neca.com
I will be at the Ohio clinic--hope to see you there, too!
I have a Clydesdale that has a very unusual growth on the outside of his hoof wall. It starts at the coronet band and goes down, but never goes all the way down to the ground. It stops about an inch from the ground. It is kind of a rough hoof type growth. Some one said it might be Keratoma? But I can't find anything on this? Any ideas? Thanks Jill realestate@torchlake.com
Send photos to Sabine Kells or Jaime Jackson for some feedback.
Thanx for the info. How can I find a good farrier in my area?? Jean jquillen@sandyvalley.net
Where are you?
Hi, My name is Kevin, I live in Tasmania, I'm a farrier (self taught). Have been doing farrier work for over 12 years, mostly on general hacking horses and spoilt pets. Your information, which I come across by accident, is very relevant to what I have been trying to instill in my customers for years, that shoeing has a detrimental affect on the horses' hooves, as proved by your article. Horse owners can be quite cruel when it comes to proper care of horses' hooves, and it mainly relates to money. They tend to wait as long as possible to call on me to do trimming or shoeing. It is one problem that I have trouble in instilling in the owners' minds that hoof care must be done on a regular basis. I have printed out most of your article and will sit back and read it and study the points your article raises and call again soon. I am also a trainer of horses and people in what I call Natural Progressive Horse Handling and your notes will give me some ammunition to put to my students. Thank you for your information and Ride in Style, SMILE. Regards Kevin Fairbrother from New Norfolk Tasmania 7140 email address kfairbro@tassie.net.au
My 10 year old Thoroughbred has suffered from chronic laminitus brought on initially by foundering on grass. He has suffered multiple abscesses and it was recommended by a vet that I put him down. Fortunately my farrior and I decided against this. Over a period of one summer My farrier taped thick styrofoam to my horses' front hooves. This cushioned his hooves. I also gave him bute daily. By the end of the summer, Spud (my horse) was up more than he was down. He has been well for almost 2 years now with the exception of an abscess once in a while.
Christine Bartell bartell@wvi.com
Hi update on Dolly--Got rid of the gelding that was beating her up so bad. She now has lots of room to roam and is moving much more on her own instead of separating her from the gelding. Still sore and am watching for abscesses, but so far she is moving much better. Thanks again--jan janiceb@mi-mls.com
These articles will take some time to cover, but what a job to put together and share!
tom.andrews@dot.state.mn.us
Hi, update on Dolly--got the blood test result back. She is now on thyroid medicine for low thyroid. Must be why she went lame. Jan janiceb@mi-mls.com
Gretchen Fathauer's reply to Jan--
While low thyroid can make a horse more likely to founder, thyroid medication alone is not a magic bullet. A horse can founder on 3 tsp. a day of Thyrol-L, so please do not put all your trust in it. It will help some, but it is not magic. Further, low thyroid may not be the only reason your horse was having problems. At the heart of most founder is a lack of hoof mechanism and circulation, due to inactivity and incorrect hoof shape.
I know I sound like a cracked record, but a correct trim and constant movement are even more critical. Long before your horse actually foundered, I bet there were times when the coronet bands and hooves were unusually warm. During those times, just walking the horse a mile--AFTER a correct trim to reduce toe leverage and restore the bottoms of the coffin bones to a ground-parallel position--would have reduced this heat and stiffness because it helps clear inflammation. Just KEEPING the horse active like this will keep this inflammation down, with none of the bad side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, among others. The side effects of more walking are great, anyway--the horse gets fitter. I hear from many people about their horses being sore in the morning when they have been shut in all night. If they were walking around all the time, the inflammation would be cleared much better. Try it yourself! When the horse is a little "off," and there is a little heat in the hooves and/or coronet bands, take him for a walk. I have seen it happen again and again--after the walk, the heat goes down significantly, and the horse "loosens up."
Max has foundered while being on Thyrol-L in the past, so I know it can happen from first-hand experience. I also know from first-hand experience how taking the horse for a walk will reduce heat and inflammation.
S0--please don't let down your guard on trimming or keeping the horse active 24/7, whatever it takes to keep him moving. (Hand-walking is good, but herd-mates are also a tremendous asset.)
Gretchen Fathauer
Thanks We are just keeping her on a single dose of thyroid med for 2-4 weeks then cutting her down. Am trying to keep her out most of the time, but is now alone without a mate and will be staying that way. Am getting her feet trimmed more frequently with the heels down. Yes, this could have been going on and I wasn't aware of it, not having any experience with this sort of thing. It can sneak up on one. Is there a normal range of time before one rides a lame horse??? Is there a healing time, or doesn't it matter? And should shoes of any kind be put on her for riding? I have gravel and paved roads to ride on. She is normally (when she feels good) the type of horse that does not stand still very long. She walks a lot, but not so much now, but is doing better, and I do take her for walks. Will chasing her help? Or will it hurt her feet until they are healed better? She went lame around the middle of Feb. She is a fairly big mare with very small feet and is from the Bars line, and all her line was big with long bodies. Thanks again Jan janiceb@mi-mls.com
Gretchen Fathauer's reply to Jan--
"Is there a normal range of time before one rides a lame horse??? Is there a healing time or doesn't it matter."
It depends on a lot of things, like how much damage there has been, how long the horse has been foundered, what kind of riding you do, etc. Consult with Sabine Kells.
"And should shoes of any kind be put on her for riding?"
NO!!! How can you ask me that after my site goes into so much detail about why you are better off barefoot? That is one of the main points of the site.
"I have gravel and paved roads to ride on."
That is where Horsneakers come in. They will enable you to ride more, and sooner, with a lot less problems. They offer MORE protection than shoes, and less concussion. So I don't want to hear the excuse of gravel roads being used to justify shoeing. There are better options out there.
Eventually, you will have to work her on gravel roads, beginning with short walks, to slowly condition her to rocky ground. It is too soon for this in her case, though. I have been walking Max on gravel lately, as the muddy pasture will never stimulate thicker, harder soles the way miles on rocky ground will. But you are probably not ready for this yet.
"She is normally, when she feels good, the type of horse that does not stand still very long. She walks a lot (but not so much now), but is doing better, and I do take her for walks. Will chasing her help? Or will it hurt her feet until they are healed better? She went lame around the middle of Feb. She is a fairly big mare with very small feet and is from the Bars line, and all her line was big with long bodies. Thanks again Jan janiceb@mi-mls.com"
Chasing her to encourage trotting and cantering, especially on concussive ground, is premature. When the laminitic connection is still weak, the concussion from faster paces can do some damage and result in more rotation. It takes time for new, stronger laminae to grow down far enough to suspend the coffin bone better than it is at the moment. For some time, walking is the best thing. Horse boots WILL reduce concussion, though, and have great value for bringing a horse back. Listen to your horse--if she doesn't feel up to trotting and cantering yet, don't ask for it.
Gretchen Fathauer
I'm not sure if you answer these or not. I showed this article to my boyfriend who is a Certified Master Farrier. He's been shoeing for 35 years and is retired because of a bad back. His dad, who was also a farrier, told him to use corrective trimming whenever possible instead of shoeing. So, he understands that part. A good friend of ours called up after his horse had foundered and been taken to the vet. The horse has a 10 degree rotation. The vets dubbed off the toes (severely) and taped on a heel support. When Danny started to trim the horse's feet he noticed a horrible abscess on the sole in the toe area. And it had also came out the coronary band. The abscess was a gray, smelly pus and covers a large area of the sole. He relieved the pressure, but is wondering how much abscess in the sole can be accepted with severe founder. The vets around here hadn't heard of a case of founder that had abscessed this bad. Their suggestions were to put the horse down. This poor horse is in extreme pain, laying down more often then not. Almost impossible to even lift a foot, let alone trim one. Any help would be extremely appreciated. Sincerely RibbonMS@aol.com
Gretchen Fathauer's reply to the above post--
Yes, I answer a lot of these posts, either on this board, or privately.
Those heel lifts are exactly the wrong thing to do. Get them off and lower the heels ASAP. You will probably need to tape on pads for a while. Some people have had good results taping on high-density styrofoam, 2" thick, that compresses down when the horse stands on it. This plus duct tape are at any lumber yard.
The first post on this board from David Gorin (304) 924-5897 EquiSling@equinebiz.com is about using a sling for trimming a really sore horse. Contact this guy! He has some really good ideas. He's in West Virginia. The horse he was working on was so sore that on the rare occasions when he was standing, he was walking 90% on his hind feet; kind of looked like a hovercraft in the front. Trying to trim a horse this sore is impossible with him standing up...unless you use a sling to take some weight off his front feet. David reports that his horse soon realized that the sling would allow him to stand more comfortably, and co-operated well with it. He was willing to give a foot to be trimmed in the sling, but not when just standing without the sling...at least in the beginning. More recently, as the horse is getting more comfortable, he is giving feet to to David willingly when he's not supported by the sling, too. Far from being cruel, the sling is a very humane way to trim a sore horse. Within a month of the trims this same horse was galloping after the mare he was turned out with. He is rarely down now.
Here is a quote from Dr. Strasser on hoof abscesses that recently appeared in Jaime Jackson's newsletter (which I certainly recommend to anyone--a great publication!)--
| Dr. Strasser on hoof abscesses: "A hoof abscess is a purulent inflammation of the corium, where the pressure produced by the accumulation of pus between the corium and the hoof causes the horse great pain and leads to pronounced lameness. "According to conventional educated opinion, a hoof abscess occurs when the horse has pierced the sole with a foreign object--that is, the abscess occurs through infection from the outside. "Hoof abscesses, however, only very rarely arise due to external infecting agents. More commonly, the following occurs: Corium or lateral cartilage areas, which have been compressed for a long time, die off. [Gretchen Fathauer's note--compression of corium, etc., often is the result of contracted feet and the tip of a tilted coffin bone pressing on the toe area sole corium.] After circulation is returned to these areas, the dead pieces of tissue are removed from the living tissue and carried to the outside by pus, since the dead pieces of tissue cannot be transported away through the microscopically small blood vessels in the corium. "THIS PROCESS IS VERY COMMON IN THE TRANSITION FROM SHOD HOOF TO BAREFOOT. "When contracted hooves open, sole and heel abscesses must be expected. They predominantly are found in the area of the heels and bars, and sometimes also by the frog, especia |