What To Feed A Pony That Has Foundered?

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.

How do you help a foundered pony?

Treatment of Founder in Horses
Strict stall rest with deep bedding can help to minimize the amount of rotation that occurs during a founder episode. Ice boots or cold hosing can also help to decrease inflammation. Anti-inflammatories and rest only help to improve the comfort of the horse during the episode.

What do you feed a pony with laminitis?

The basis of any diet for a horse or pony prone to laminitis or suffering acute laminitis is hay. The best choice of forage is one that is low in sugar, starch, and fructans (non-structural carbohydrates or NSC). Ideally, all forage that you intend to feed should be tested for NSC level and be below 10%.

What can I give my horse for founder?

Treatment of Founder (laminitis) in Horses

• Medications. The veterinarian will administer a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to relieve pain and inflammation.
• Heel Wedge Cuffs or Foam Supports.
• Cold Therapy.
• Complete Stall Rest.
• Surgery.

What is the best hay for a foundered horse?

What is the best hay choice for laminitis prone/foundering horses…

• Lucerne – 2nd grade dry land lucerne – can be mixed with grass.
• Grass/pasture.
• Millet.
• Meadow.
• Rhodes grass.

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.

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.

What can you not feed a laminitic horse?

You should NEVER feed a feed to a laminitic horse if it has any of the following ingredients: Oats, corn, wheat, rice or barley. Millrun, millmix, bran (rice or wheat), pollard. Any form of steam flaked, micronized or extruded grain.

Should you starve a laminitic horse?

Overweight or laminitis-prone equines should never be starved as this can cause further metabolic complications. Forage intake must not fall below the equivalent of one percent of the horse’s body weight per day and, for those on a strict diet, will need to be weighed.

Can you feed carrots to a horse with laminitis?

High starch feeds should be avoided, including treats such as carrots and apples. To manage and prevent laminitis from occurring, choose a low sugar and starch diet. Look for a combined sugar and starch content of less than 10% (NSC).

Can a pony recover from founder?

With prompt treatment, some horses can recover from founder. However, if the condition has caused severe damage to the hoof structure, horses may be in constant pain and unable to recover from lameness.

What can you do for a pony with laminitis?

Laminitis is a medical emergency and horses should be seen by a vet so that they can receive treatment as soon as possible. Various medicines can be given to control the pain including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as phenylbutazone (‘bute’) or flunixin and opiates like morphine and pethidine.

Can you reverse founder?

“You can diminish pain and possibly prevent more damage, but you can’t reverse what has been done.” That’s the primary reason why Moyer recommends that owners take a foundered horse’s progress one day at a time, particularly in the first days and weeks after treatment has been initiated.

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.

What is the difference between founder and laminitis?

The terms “laminitis” and “founder” are used interchangeably. However, founder usually refers to a chronic (long-term) condition associated with rotation of the coffin bone, whereas acute laminitis refers to symptoms associated with a sudden initial attack, including pain and inflammation of the laminae.

How do I stop my horse 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.

How do you reverse laminitis?

Hoof Rehabilitation
The goal of rehabilitating hooves affected by laminitis is to reduce the amount of weight exerted on the front part of the sole and relieve pain and stress on the laminae. Therapeutic trimming and shoeing can help to shift the forces of weight-bearing to the rear of the foot.

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.

Does Bute help laminitis?

NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) e.g. Bute, Danilon, Metacam have historically been the mainstay of laminitis treatment.

Can grass cause a horse to founder?

Horses can founder for a variety of reasons: endotoxicity, Cushing’s disease, and concussive injury to the feet, are but a few. But grass founder is by far the leading cause.

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.