Laminitis, or founder in horses, is an inflammation of the feet. Normally only the front feet are affected. The problem occurs for some horses, generally those who have a tendency to be overweight such as ponies, when they eat too much rich, green grass, especially the new grass of the season.
Some sturdy horses, and most ponies, have evolved to live on little, scavenging on sparce vegetation in various regions of the world. These equines are not dissimilar to mountain goats. They tend to be sure footed and don’t need lush grass to survive.
This is at the heart of laminitis, or founder in horses. So you need to know what sort of equine you have. And then feed them accordingly, or limit their access to rich new grass.
However, sometimes it’s too late and your horse has already foundered. Normal veterinary treatment can take many weeks to work and then is often dissatisfactory, with future bouts becoming more common. Founder, or laminitis, can separate and destroy the laminates of the foot, and vets commonly recommend death as the only option for chronic cases.
One of the best treatments for this problem is homeopathy. And there are several different medicines for this, based on your horse’s unique and personal symptoms. In most cases, your best option is to call a professional homeopath who works with animals.
Typical symptoms of founder, or laminitis, are:
- the horse is standing with the front legs pushed out in front, balancing more weight on the rear legs
- the front feet are very warm, almost hot
- your horse has difficulty moving about
- your horse has been grazing on rich or new grass
- it has recently occurred, it has a tendency to recur, with increasingly less reason
The homeopathic treatment of laminitis or founder in horses can be very fast, and also permanently curative.
I once treated an overweight horse who regularly suffered with founder, or laminitis, if she was allowed to graze on anything more than sparce grass,. When I saw her, she was reluctant to move at all. By the following day, she was cantering around her small yard, yelling to be let out.
She never suffered with the problem again.
Here you can find out more about homeopathic treatment.
