How do you tell if horse is foundered?

Answer 1

A horse needs food, water, shelter, veterinary care, hoof care, exercise and social interaction. Unfortunately, many laws leave out veterinary and hoof care, exercise and social interaction and will only prosecute based on lack of food, water, shelter or veterinary care.

A horse that is well fed shows it is getting food. If its lips were cut, that may be a problem, but since horses do not have mucus membranes on the outside of their lips, this would not be from dehydration. The lack of water doesn't mean the horse doesn't have periodic access to water, and that may only be a turn-out paddock to spend an hour or so during the day. The chipped feet could mean the owner is looking for a new farrier. There are many reasons for some of the things you may have seen, including but not limited to neglect. Call your local police officer if you are worried. They can locate the owner, speak to them, and call animal control if necessary.

The worst mistake people in the US can do for a neglected horse is to feed and water or otherwise care for them. If the animal is getting food or other care, the owners cannot be prosecuted, even if they are not the ones giving the care.

Hi It's still me, I was just explaining my question in more detail. You see, I was walking along a busy road and found a bridge - I crossed it and found a small field (about the size of a average school hall) with a black horse in it. The field had a stable - but it was old and falling apart and all bolted up.

Now when i found the horse, the weather was around 40 degrees and this horse had no access to water or shade or even much grass - there were no other horses in the area. But the horse was really quite fat, and behind the stable (where the horse couldn't get) there was a bale of hay and a screwed up New Zealand blanket all covered in cobwebs. So I'm not sure if it was neglected or not. The stable looked more like a shed and was empty apart from where people had dumped their rubbish in it. The horse had chipped hooves, it kept trying to scratch its leg, her lips were cut and very very dry (because she had no water) and she kept swishing her head and biting the fence which is a sign of boredom. She looked really hungry and stomped her foot when i left. I'm just not sure what i should do about her - she looks quite young and i think she may die if i just leave her there - PLEASE TELL ME WHAT TO DO! A horses life may be at risk here!

Answer 2

Her feet would look swollen, and the base of her hoof may feel softer than normal.

Its hoofs will be hot. swollen. Having hard walking, moving its weight around trying to take pain off the hoofs. sitting down for hours at a time. crossing its front feet over each other while walking. beathing heavy, groaning in pain. standing awkward with body spread out, or back legs tucked under belly depends which legs hurt the most. make sure ring vet straight away...

Answer 3

A foundered horse will often stand with the front feet further back than normal and the hind feet further forward, almost like they are trying to put all four feet in the one spot.

The hooves will feel very warm to touch and a bounding pulse can be felt in the artery located the fetlock. The horse will also look miserable and often be either shivering or sweating or both.

Founder, correct term laminitis, effects the tissues (laminae) inside the hoof causing them to swell. As the hoof wall is solid there is no room for the swelling to happen and this causes intense pain. Think of a time when you have jammed your finger in a door hard enough to cause bruising under the nail and eventually loss of the nail, this is similar to what happens in a hoof effected by founder (laminitis)

Left untreated it can cause the pedal (or coffin bone) to rotate downward through the sole of the foot and the horse could shed the hoof wall. The first thing to do if laminitis is suspected is call a vet. If the vet is going to be a while you could try to cool the feet down by running a hose over them or standing the horse in a dam or shallow creek. This will make the horse more comfortable and may help to prevent further damage to the hoof.

Answer 4

Symptoms of laminitis can be heat in the hoof, lameness, rapid pulse in the radial pulse in the lower legs, shifting or rocking back and forth (weaving) on the front feet, laying down or other signs the horse is in pain. Some horses may not want to eat or will have a reduced appetite.

If you think your horse has begun to founder put him in a stall or small paddock with water but no food. Call your vet and explain your horse's symptoms. If you know what may have caused the founder make sure to keep the horse away from it. (green grass, grain)

Laminitis can be life threatening so it is very important that your horse receives medical attention immediately. Depending on the severity of the case, your horse may take many months to recover. But with proper care, including vet and hoof care, your horse has a very good chance to make a full recovery.

Answer 5

You would notice the horse not wanting to put weight on it's feet, laying down for excessively long periods of time, fever, possible groaning if the horse must move and if the coffin bone has completely rotated it may actually be sticking out the bottom of the hoof sole. This typically takes a while to get to the point of the coffin bone rotating that much. It's best to always check a horses entire body over daily to catch anything that has gone wrong early on when it is easier to treat.

Answer 6

Lamnitic rings, standing in the "laminitus pose" (weight on heels of hoof) frequent laying down, and lameness.. but ask a vet or farrier to be totally sure.