Can A Pony Founder On Grass Hay?

Certain horses and ponies are prone to grass founder (laminitis), particularly in the spring when grasses are high in sugar.

Can a horse founder on hay?

Alfalfa hay can cause horses to founder and develop laminitis due to the excess nutrients provided by the high quality hay if too much is fed.

What is the best hay to feed a foundered horse?

Feed grass hay, possibly a little alfalfa hay, or rinsed sugar beet, BUT stay away from corn, oats, barley, and especially stay away from sugar as molasses. Feed extra fat in the form of oil or rice bran if you need to get energy into the horse.

Can a horse founder from too much grass?

It’s important to exercise caution though, because overfeeding on grass when it’s rapidly growing can lead horses to founder.

Is hay OK for Laminitic horses?

What forage should I feed my laminitis prone horse or pony? Conserved forage, such as hay and haylage , is the cornerstone of the laminitis prone horse’s diet; as they typically spend longer periods stabled, or in a no-grass area.

What do you feed a founder pony?

The key to feeding horses or ponies with laminitis involves formulating a diet that: Reduces intake of sugar, starch and fructans. Encourages weight loss (if required)
These include:

1. Oats, corn, wheat, rice, or barley.
2. Millrun, mill mix, bran (rice or wheat), pollard.
3. Any form of steam flaked, micronized, or extruded grain.

How do you stop ponies from foundering?

To avoid grass founder:

1. Allow the horse to fill up on hay before turning out on grass for a few hours.
2. Place a grazing muzzle on horses predisposed to foundering to limit their forage intake. Grazing muzzles limit grass intake but allow the horse to exercise throughout the day.

What should a foundered horse not eat?

Do not feed oats, corn, or molasses. Your horse needs to be on low sugar and low starch diet, and some senior feeds may fit the bill and be the right choice for horses prone to founder, but always read the label.

Is grass hay good for horses with laminitis?

Generally, a mixture of grass hay and alfalfa is the best hay combination for horses prone to laminitis.

Can too much hay cause laminitis?

What causes laminitis continues to be an area of huge research. It has become evident in recent years that although the over consumption of grass or feed high in starch or sugar is still commonly associated with horses developing laminitis, up to 90% of cases have an underlying hormonal cause.

How much hay should a foundered horse eat?

The horse should be fed low-NSC hay at the rate of 1.5 to 2% of body weight. Alfalfa hay (lucerne) can be part of the diet during the acute stages.

How quickly can a pony founder?

You can founder a horse by putting them on an insulin drip for 48 hours, or simply by turning them out onto the equine version of a Snicker’s bar — a green spring pasture.

How long does it take for a foundered horse to recover?

Founder is a complex condition and weakens the support for the bones inside the hoof, so making sure the hoof strikes evenly is essential to prevent further damage. Much like a broken fingernail, full repair does not happen until the damaged part of the hoof has fully grown out which takes 6-12 months.

Is grass hay high in sugar?

Most cool-season grass forage species, commonly found in horse pastures and hay fields around the upper Midwest, may be high in sugar. These sugars are in the form of fructans as well as simple sugars like glucose.

What is the best feed for laminitic ponies?

Fast Fibre, Veteran Light and ‘L’ Mix are designed specifically for horses and ponies prone to laminitis and are high in fibre and very low in starch and sugar, each with a combined level of under 10%.

How much hay should I feed my pony with laminitis?

Feed: Hay – feed approx. 1.5-2% bodyweight hay (depending on whether weight loss is needed (1.5%) or not (2%), so 7.5-10 kg for a 500 kg horse, 3.75-5 kg for a 250 kg pony), soaked for at least 1 hour then drained to reduce sugars (or analysed to show combined sugar/starch no more than 10%).

Can you fix a foundered horse?

Corrective hoof care is a must for the foundered horse. As farriers, we have several options for treating laminitis and founder in horses. Each case is different and should be evaluated by a veterinarian. X-rays should be taken to allow monitoring of treatment progression.

Can a horse founder on grass in the fall?

This sudden increase in rich grass can put your horse at risk for founder in the fall. Here are some tips to prevent this seasonal problem. Founder, medically known as laminitis, is a very painful and debilitating hoof condition in horses.

Can you overfeed a pony hay?

Providing hay or other feeds to our friendly companions daily is very important. But it’s easy to go overboard when feeding them with the wrong hard feeds or hay that is too high in sugar or protein. Overfeeding leads to problems like obesity, laminitis, and colic.

What are the first signs of founder in horses?

So alert your veterinarian as soon as possible if you detect one or more of the following:

• A strong/bounding digital pulse.
• A hoof that’s hot for hours.
• A distorted hoof shape and/or unusual rings.
• An increased heart rate.
• Too little—or too much—foot lifting.
• Apparent stretched and/or bleeding laminae.
• A shortened stride.

Can foundering be reversed?

“Treatment of a foundered horse can only be considered an attempt to allow the horse to exist comfortably with structural damage,” Moyer continues. “You can diminish pain and possibly prevent more damage, but you can’t reverse what has been done.”