Protein or Carb/Sugar causes founder

Foundered mini pony; farrier says the hay is to rich in protein to get him off that hay, the protein will kill him. My old vet said the hay was also too rich, but didn't specify. Another vet told me its not the protein it's the carbs/sugars and I should take the hay soak it for 20 minutes, when I drain it, all the sugars will wash away. I could either feed wet or I could dry it and feed very small amounts.

Sorry that happened...I have heard of that before

Sorry to hear about your horse, that's never any fun.

I know there are places that can "analyze" your hay for nutritional content.
You might do some investigating, to see if any one that supplies hay in your area might have some thing that meets your minis needs better.....

If they are nice, they might just give you a small sample of what they put up so you can take it in to be tested?
It will take some work on your part, but in the end it would be worth it, if you might not have to soak the hay any more?

Would beet pulp work? Or is that also high in sugar/carbs?
(I'm sure you also know that means no grazing in pasture as well.....)

Good luck with it, hope your mini is feeling better soon!

I feed a good quality hay, (alfalfa) ....I have never had any problems, feed according to weight, its easy to overfeed a mini, and have bad results. I find keeping it simple is the best method. Yes now you should put on plain grass,(not pasture for sure) but lack of protein will eventually show in a bloated belly look. You can feed Alfalfa, in moderation? How big is your mini? Just have to keep it the same.

Yup, hay can be high in sugars/carbs depending on when it was cut, the weather at the time, etc.

Soaking is a great way to make hay safer for foundering ponies - Put a biscuit or flake in a container of water big enough to cover it completely and leave it for an hour. The water turns a mucky molasses colour because of all the sugar that leaches out.

Yeah the first time I soaked it I was shocked at the colour, it was a very dark brown.

After his hoove trimming we put sneakers on him; seems un-natural to me but he seems to walk better with them on. The farrier comes every 4 weeks and they tell me to leave the boots on him until the next visit, isn't that an awful long time, don't they become uncomfortable afte a while.

His weight is good @ 325. He only gets 1/4 scoop hay stretcher x2 daily and a handful of sugarfree hay x2 daily. Sugarfree hay, I like that.

Thank you all for your comments this helps tremendously just knowing I'm not alone out here.
Lee Ann

As long as they are proper hoof boots, as long as they are staying on then they will be fine. Does he have pads on with them? It's great he is getting trimmed every 4 weeks and left barefoot - From what I have learnt about foot care, it's the best way to go - Boots to help them use the hoof correctly without too much pain, regular small trims to help get the foot back into healthy parameters - Along with diet.

Sugar/Starches are the bane of many an owners life - They not only trigger founder, but IR, Cushings, Tying up... I had a horse who was tying up so now I am a stickler for diet - none of my horses get any sugar and as little starch as I can manage.

How badly foundered is your pony?

The boots were originally put on by the vet. They were removed and the farrier put them back on so he should be all set. They just seem so un-natural but he definitely walks better. The have this gel in them for cushion, like the commercial...He's gellin.

He's rotated twice. Once before we got him. He was doing fine until he got Lyme then it started all over again. They get no grain and the grass they haven't trampled already is poor quality. So he really doesn't get the extra (well I didn't know about the sugars)! I will tell you this he is a chow hound. Always trying to sneak into the hay barn for a snack. He gets hay stretcher but would much, much more prefer the hay. The pony in him does get him into trouble but he is a sweet heart and sick or not wouldn't trade him for the world.

She is exactly right. If you are feeding alfalfa cut it back to a handfull a day, and soak that timothy or whatever grass hay. www.safegrass.org
Is a good place to start about foundered horses Kathy Watts. There is a pelleted feed for foundered horses Remedy, or Remission or something like that, I can look it up. Max. 1 hour a day on that pasture, you can keep lamititis at bay , but it takes a lot of effort, sorry to hear this news, have you checked for rotation yet Is it a confirmed Founder , or lami ? Founder being a rotation of the coffin bone , and the other the inflamation the tissue connecting the coffin bone to the hoof wall. I just read your above post , so if he has rotated 2 times its pretty serious. You can get some great info on hoof care at www.horseshoes.com its a farrier forum, and its worth its weight in gold. You will learn a lot about making that pony as comfortable as possible barefoot or with corrective pads, depending on the x-rays. Remission is the name of that feed ,I am sure of it , you can get it in the US but not in Europe. I would stick to grass hay , soaked with added minerals , and a feed for foundered ponys like remission. Good luck.
Good luck,